The Power Player
by Vera Roberts
Summary: She's known to make high-profile decisions for the WWE. But what happens when she can't make a decision for her heart? OC, Jeff Hardy, Batista, Randy Orton, other WWE stars.
1. Chapter 1

_Author's Note: This is a story I've been sitting on for a while. It's a wrestling-related story, so not the typical AU realm I do. This story is dedicated to everyone who has supported my career. _

_And for those who are wondering, The Family sequel will be posted soon. This is something to tie you over until then. _

_-------------------------------------------_

She watched his match in slow motion. Each time he hit the turnbuckle, she slightly cringed. Granted, professional wrestling was scripted and choreographed. But the petite woman also knew when something hurt. When Jeff Hardy grabbed his left knee upon landing on the mat, Ariel Lee became concerned. After several minutes, she concluded that Jeff was trying to sell an injury. She breathed a sigh of relief and continued to watch his battle with Ric Flair.

Jeff flew everywhere throughout the ring but Ariel felt she was watching poetry in motion. Not so coincidentally, her former flame Jeff Hardy had a maneuver called Poetry in Motion. After the match, Ariel smiled at her ex, who blew her a kiss. She then made her way backstage to wait for him.

Standing by the loading dock, Ariel contemplated if coming to tonight's Raw was even a smart idea. Being head of the creative writing team, she didn't have to go to every show. Well, according to Vince she didn't have to go every show. However, if a problem aroused and she wasn't there to solve it, there was no telling what wrath Vince would give Ariel. She was too valuable to the company for little mistakes to happen on his watch.

But going to Raw wasn't Ariel's concern. She was in close vicinity with her ex-boyfriend, Jeff Hardy. She was also in close vicinity with her current flame, Dave Batista, who made a surprise appearance at Raw. Both men knew about each other and they each told Ariel they couldn't care less. Yet, Ariel wasn't too convinced. She had a hard time believing either man was accepting of the soap opera arrangement all three played unwillingly roles in. _Bullshit, she scoffed. _

"Did anyone tell you how beautiful you are when you stare into space?" Jeff asked.

Ariel blinked quickly and shook her head. "What?"

Jeff's eyes slightly danced. "Lights are on, someone's home, and she's wondering why the lights are on." 

"Fuck you, Hardy."

"We have." Jeff retorted.

Ariel flipped Jeff off. She walked over to him and watched him load up his SUV. "You looked good out there tonight, Jeffy." She smiled.

"Thank you." Jeff grinned. "You looked great cheering me on."

Ariel giggled. _Stop it, Ari. _ "Thank you."

Jeff closed the hatchback of his rental. He was uncomfortable of asking Ariel the next question for he already knew what the answer was going to be. But he didn't want to come off being a dick, either. "Um, are you here for the night?"

"Not really. I need to get on the road for Smackdown tomorrow."

_I figured as much. _"Tonight?"

"Yeah."

"Okay." His voice had disappointment, which Jeff did not attempt to hide.

Ariel sighed out of frustration. Jeff was guilt tripping her to stay with him and it was working. "Did you want me to stay with you tonight, Jeffrey?"

Jeff shook his head. Whenever Ariel was pissed off at him, she always referred to him by his given name. She normally called him either Jeffy or Nero, his middle name. "No, you don't have to stay with me, Ariel Elizabeth."

Ariel let out another deep sigh. Jeff's way of undercutting Ariel was to talk to her in the same condescending tone she gave him. However, the night was long and Ariel's temper was short. Fighting for the umpteenth time with Jeff was not going to help the long road she had ahead of herself. "I'll call you when I arrive at the hotel."

"Alright." He then grabbed Ariel's hand. She stopped walking and turned to him. "Come here, Ari." He purred.

Ariel walked closer to Jeff. It was moments like that she remembered all of the beautiful moments of their relationship. His signature scent of various Calvin Klein fragrances. The way he would wrap his arms around her after a hot and steamy sex session. The times she would hold his head over the kitchen sink while she rinsed out the hair dye.

Of course, the good also came with the bad. Ariel couldn't remember how many times she stayed up all night because Jeff got too high to come down. Or the times Jeff would go into his makeshift studio and would not come out for hours. Or the night when everything went to hell in hand basket. Four years later, there were still whispers of what really happened that night.

Ariel slightly pulled away from Jeff. "I need to go now, Jeffy."

Jeff softly kissed Ariel's forehead and rubbed her cheek. "Call me when you arrive, Bella."

"I will."

Ariel watched Jeff pulled out of the parking lot and speed off. She shook her head as she remembered their first date. She could've sworn Jeff was trying to kill her with his erratic driving habits.

"_Will you slow the fuck down?" She yelled._

_Jeff grinned. He had one had on the steering wheel. He was leaning back and had his other hand resting on his chin. His speeds were climbing 70 mph and the freeway wasn't very clear to begin with. "What's wrong, Ari? You never been in a corvette before?"_

"_I've been in a corvette before, Hardy." She hung onto the "Oh Shit!" handle bars. "I never rode with a jackass before."_

_--------------------------_

"Ari? Ari?" Dave called to her.

Ariel shook her head. The first date memory soon faded to black. She turned to her current boyfriend, if that was Dave's role. Both Ariel and Dave teetered between dating and being in a full-blown relationship. The pair, although they wanted to, did not consummate the relationship. Dave thought it had something to do with his former girlfriend, Rebecca DiPietro. Ariel knew it was something deeper than that. "Yes?"

"I've been calling your name for the past five minutes. Is everything okay?"

Ariel grinned. She walked up to Dave and planted a big kiss on his lips. "Everything is better now."

As Dave and Ariel prepared the long trip to the next city, she stared out the window. So many things were going through her mind and nothing was concrete. She was going to need to make a decision: Jeff, the love of her life who supported her unconditionally but was the shaky wild card; or Dave, a budding romance that grew out of a close relationship and could give her the support she needed—as long as they didn't try to get married.

Ariel shook her head as she attempted to make sense of it all. But for now, she was focused on getting a good night's sleep with Dave. She'll deal with her feelings with Jeff later.


	2. Complicated

"What are you working on?"

"A storyline."

"Am I involved?"

"God, no." Ariel read over the script. "I want it to be good."

Ariel read over the lines she wrote out for the wrestlers. The dialogue was simple but it didn't mean the most basic wrestler wouldn't mess it up. Wrestlers would complain about their wardrobe and their matches, being very vocal about their concerns. Yet, when it came to saying a simple phrase like, 'Hey, what's wrong?,' the wrestlers were stammering and blubbering their lines left and right. _No one ever said wrestlers were great actors, _Ariel smirked, _Commando Nanny, anyone? _

When Ariel was a little girl, she had an epiphany. One day while dressed up in her mother's clothing and high heels, she went to her father's home office. Her father was an account executive for a pharmaceutical company and often had clients over. Ariel climbed onto her father's chair, put her feet on the desk, and pretended to be brokering a major deal. It was when she knew, she wanted to have power.

Ariel joined the WWE back in 1998, fresh out of college. When she first arrived, she was a bubbly brunette with a can-do attitude. Over time, however, the peppiness disappeared as the seasoned veteran made its appearance. There were rumors on exactly how she acquired her position of Executive Vice President of Creative Writing. One rumor was Ariel made her name known through her internship and working her way up the corporate ladder.

The other rumor was Ariel was not chaste and used her sexuality to gain crucial contacts within the entertainment industry, which made her a shining star in Vince McMahon's eyes. While it was never proven, it was highly rumored that Ariel slept with the top movers and shakers—something Ariel did not necessarily deny.

Adjusting her vision, Ariel stretched as she looked over the storyline she was working on. She wanted to move but was wrapped tight in a bear-hug embrace by Dave. Another city. Another long-distance trip. Another day Ariel would wake up and not remember exactly where she is. She was comforted by the fact she was waking up next to one of the sexiest men in the world.

But she wasn't comforted by the strict time schedule. She had to be at the arena at the same time the wrestlers had to, if not earlier. Being part of creative meant she often had to travel with the shows. It wasn't quite what she signed up for. But then again, nothing that has happened with her life was what she signed up for.

Dave got up from bed and joined his girlfriend at the desk. He met Ariel five years ago when he first came to the WWE. At the time, he was married and Ariel was very much involved with Jeff. Yet, Dave and Ariel bonded in a major way. They often hung out after shows and they called each other. It wasn't anything extraordinary for Ariel was friends with several wrestlers. But when Dave's ex-wife filed for divorce, rumors circulated Ariel—along with Melina—was the catalyst. Neither party denied or confirmed the rumor.

"Come to bed, Ari." He whispered. Brushing her brown locks away, Dave rested his chin on her right shoulder.

"I'm almost done, Lover." Ariel held up two pages of script to her view. She made quick glances from side to side, double-checking for accuracy.

Dave picked up the sheets and set them down on the nearby table. "I think you're done now." He got up and grabbed Ariel's hand. He led her to the bed and she reluctantly laid down with him.

"I wasn't done, David." She protested.

"Yeah, you were." He pulled her close to him. He caressed her soft skin and kissed her forehead. The pair had been building their new relationship for several weeks, yet they have yet to consummate the relationship. "Are you able to come with me this weekend?"

"Of course, I will." She softly kissed him. "I love traveling with you." She then hesitated. "Um…what about—"

"Rebecca's cool. She knows about you."

"I wasn't referring to Rebecca, David." She said.

Dave knew who Ariel was referring to. It wasn't his ex-wife but rather, his most recent serious relationship. "She'll be fine, too."

"I'm not too sure about that."

"She won't do anything, Ari." Dave assured. "She'll be fine."

"She hates me, doesn't she?"

"Probably." Dave shrugged. "I think she hates me more."

Ariel wrapped her left leg around Dave's waist. "Is us being together a good idea?"

Dave caressed Ariel's leg, dancing his fingers along her toned leg. "Since when did you care about what other people thought?"

"Since both of our exes work for the company."

-------------------------------

The following Monday, Ariel arrived at Raw. After a meeting with the creative team, she went to look for Jeff. Whenever Ariel traveled with Dave, she always overcompensated her feelings of guilt by spending as much time with Jeff as possible. While Ariel thought she was being smooth about what she was doing, her actions were transparent to Jeff.

"How was your weekend, Ari?" He asked as they walked to a dressing room.

"It was good. I did a lot of script writing for the shows and I think the storylines are going to be great within the next few weeks."

"So you and Dave are getting serious?" Jeff asked.

_Of course you would ask about me and Dave. Why would you care about a storyline? _"Depends on your definition of serious." Ariel replied.

"Ari, stop it."

"What?"

"You're doing it again."

"Doing what?"

"I'll ask you a simple yes or no question and you give me a bullshit response."

"I asked you what your definition of serious was, Jeffrey." Ariel shrugged as she casually walked to her office. "How you interpreted what I said is no doing on my part."

Jeff let out a sharp breath. Ariel was beating around the bush as she always did in the past. If the analogy of being caught with a hand in the cookie jar was applicable to any situation, Ariel not being straight forward with her ex-boyfriend was it. "You're impossible."

"Fine, if you want to know, Dave and I aren't getting married." Ariel said out of frustration. She was irritated she had to explain her private life to someone who had no business knowing what she was doing. "We're not going to live together. There. Is that sufficient?"

"Do you love him?"

"What?"

"You love him, don't you?"

"I like him a lot." Ariel tightly shut her eyes and braced herself for a verbal lashing. "I see a future with us."

Jeff let out a silent breath. "That's all I needed to know."

Jeff sounded defeated and Ariel was feeling guilty, for reasons she couldn't quite comprehend at the moment. "Jeff, don't…"

"Ariel, do you remember what happened at all last month? Do you?"

Ariel closed her eyes as she remembered what happened when she visited her "children"—the eight dogs her and Jeff had together. Upon their split, they both agreed to share custody of the dogs. Since Ariel lived in New York, she agreed to keep the dogs at Jeff's home and flew down once a month to see her children. However, the visits were never platonic. The former couple always spent hours talking and catching up with each other. They went on long walks with their dogs, talking about anything from the moon and the stars to the latest episode of Dr. Phil.

But when it came time to go to bed, there was never a doubt that Ariel ended up in Jeff's bed. Yet, they always ended up in bed in each other. The most recent occurrence was just a few weeks prior—when Ariel was beginning to date Dave.

"Jeff, now is not the time nor the place…"

"Until you'll avoid it as much as possible?" He wondered. Jeff held his head down. He pinched the bridge of his nose. He wished he didn't have any feelings towards her. He wished he could forget what happened and move on. But he couldn't and he wouldn't. Ariel still pulled him in despite they have been broken up for three years. _It would be so damn easier if she didn't work for the fuckin' company! _He shook his head and gave an uncomfortable grin. "Yeah, we didn't have sex or mess around but you were in my bed that night. Don't you see what you're doing?"

"Jeff, please…"

"No, forget it, Ari. I gotta go." He quickly left.

Ariel stared at her ex-boyfriend. _How is this shit my fault now? _

_------------------------------_

Jeff walked into the sound booth. He grabbed a steel chair and sat across from the graphic designer. Determination and anger were plastered on his face and his arms were folded. "I need your help."

"With?"

"I need to know every little thing about Ariel and Dave."

"And you think I would know this, how?"

"You're Dave's ex-girlfriend, right? You were his best friend for five years. I'm sure you know something."

Rachel Schaffer glanced at the man beside her. When Jeff meant business, he didn't have time for childhood games. "Why do you care?"

Jeff motioned at the screen before Rachel. Glaring back at them was a still frame of Dave walking to the ring. Dave and Rachel dated for a year before they abruptly broke up, due to her affair with her best friend, Randy Orton. There wasn't a question as to whether Rachel was still in love with Dave. "Because you do."

---------------------------------

_Author's Note: Oh yeah, just in case you couldn't tell, this story is a continuation of Choices. This takes place during the off-time that Rae and Dave weren't together. _

_Surprise! _


	3. Behind the Scenes

"So what is it do you want to know?" Rae asked.

Jeff took a swig of his Bud Light. "Everything." He said flatly.

Ordering pizza and beer, Jeff and Rae converged into a hotel room to divvy up any information about their exes. Jeff and Ariel split up back in 2003, amidst Jeff's abrupt departure from the WWE. While Ariel told everyone Jeff's rumored drug use had nothing to do with the split, it didn't stop the whispers from circulating.

Jeff wasn't sure what he wanted to know or even why it mattered to him years later. All that Jeff knew was he needed to know something to cure his unshakable feeling in his gut. He heard the rumors just like everyone else. Ariel had a fling with this wrestler; she was seen cavorting with another. She was a flirtatious woman and often joked about performing sexual favors for the wrestlers. But Jeff wanted to know how much of the joking was just that.

Rae bit off a piece of her pepperoni pizza. "Ari is close with all of the wrestlers, Jeff."

He cut her off. "How close is she with them?"

Rae looked up at the ceiling while she chewed her pizza. Jeff claimed he wanted to know everything but Rae wasn't sure if he could handle what she was about to do divulge. "How much do you want to know?"

"Everything, Rae. I want to know everything."

"Alright." Rae warned. "But you can't say I didn't warn you."

Over the next several hours, Rae divulged as much personal information to Jeff she could remember. Ariel and Rae started working at the WWE around the same time—Rae fresh out of New York University; Ariel out of Boston College. The women weren't necessarily close but got along reasonably well. However, it was Rae's close friendship with Dave that caused a rift between Rae and Ariel. Since Ariel was in superior position to Rae, she began to demand more from the graphic designer. One time, Rae printed out a draft copy of the new program books for Ariel to review. There was a small mistake on a wrestler's page and Ariel went on a tirade towards Rae, claiming she wasn't paying enough attention to detail.

Ever since that fateful day in the boardroom, Rae had no reason to like Ariel. And with Ariel's impending relationship with Dave, Rae really didn't like her.

One night after a PPV, Rae, Dave, and Ariel hung out at a bar. Dave only had a few drinks, so did Rae. However, Ariel kept drinking. By the end of the night, she was flirting with Dave, playing with his hair and often kissing his cheek. Dave played it off as Ariel just being drunk but Rae wasn't impressed.

Rae turned to bed early and left Ariel and Dave at the bar. During the middle of the night, she woke up to muffled sounds from the hotel room next door. The next morning, Rae went to Dave's hotel room, only to be greeted by a smiling Dave with a bed sheet wrapped around his waist. She also saw an emerging Ariel from the bathroom, running her fingers through her hair.

It was that moment Rae would never like Ariel.

After Rae finished her story, she carefully watched Jeff's face for any reaction or movement. His hazel eyes went blank and her demeanor was motionless. Jeff just stared out the hotel balcony window, watching the breeze blow against the palm trees. "Do you know for a fact they had an affair?"

"Jeff, it was a long time ago."

"So, I take that as a yes."

"That's all I know." Rae said dejectedly.

Jeff stood up and walked around the hotel room. He wanted to punch a hole in the wall but he also knew that wasn't going to help anything. Meanwhile, Rae watched helplessly as she saw Jeff's heart breaking right before her. She gathered her belongings and started to leave. "I'll leave you alone now, Jeffy."

"Rae, wait." Jeff grabbed her arm and pulled her into a warm hug. He caressed her hair, and rocked her gently. "Thank you for being real with me, Rachel."

Rae let out a small sigh and frowned. "I didn't mean to hurt you."

"You didn't hurt me, Rae." Jeff whispered. "Ariel did."


	4. Laying the Smackdown

_Author's Note: This chapter contains sexual content._

_--------------------------------------_

"_You know what is heaven, Jeffy?"_

"_What's heaven, Ari?"_

_Ariel giggled as she watched her boyfriend use her body as his personal canvas. Her body was a stark contrast to her boyfriend's. Ariel was pale, almost a stark white. Jeff was tanned and bronzed to perfection. But for now, Ariel's body was covered in strawberry, butterscotch, and chocolate syrup. _

_Edible body paint was spread on her thighs, midsection and breasts. She knew Jeff was making a drawing of some sort on her body but Ariel could not have cared less. Her body reached incomparable orgasmic heights. Just when she came down from one high, Jeff sent her on one after the other. Ariel lost count exactly how many orgasms she had after six._

_Jeff dripped chocolate syrup on Ariel's folds and spread the syrup with his fingers. Having Ariel where he wanted her, Jeff lowered his head down to her core and began to lick the chocolate off her. Ariel rode to Jeff's tongue, her back arching off the floor. _

"_This." Ariel cooed as she grabbed Jeff's hair. "This is heaven."_

The last time Ariel visited Jeff and their dogs, she ended up getting her own personal artwork. All night, the lovers spent painting each other's bodies and bringing each other to new heights. _I heard muffled moans from the room next door, Rae said, they sounded like sex moans. _Jeff shook his head and rubbed his temples. _Yeah, they sounded like sex moans because they were. _

Jeff sat on the foot of the bed, waiting for Ariel to show up. He wasn't sure how he was going to confront her or if there was anything he wanted to say. But he knew he needed to get his mind clear and if it meant letting Ariel go, so be it.

A soft knock put Jeff into the right mind frame. He dusted off his jeans and got up to answer the door. Dressed down in blue jeans and a white tank top, Ariel smiled back at her ex-boyfriend. She looked down at her watch and back at Jeff. "Kinda late for a booty call, Jeffy."

"Thank you for coming over." Jeff replied..

Ariel walked inside Jeff's room and sat down. "Well, what is this about?"

Jeff let the door close. He then sat across from Ariel and stared at the mirror in front of them. "You know, Ari. Several times I had asked you if you were fucking around on me. Several." Jeff whispered. "And each time was a lie."

"Jeff, what are you—"

He held a hand up. "Stop. I know everything about you and Dave, alright? I know what was going on when we were still together. You could have been just a bit more honest with me."

Ariel turned to face him. She wasn't sure if she was more confused by the sudden conversation or Jeff's tone. There was no warmth or comfort in his voice. "I have no idea what the hell you're talking about, Jeff."

"Rachel told me about you and Dave, Ariel. You guys having drinks? You going back up to his hotel room and having sex with him all night?" Jeff walked up to Ariel. "Now isn't the time to play stupid whore on me."

Ariel's face froze. She should've known Rae would tell Jeff about her indiscretion with Dave. The fact Ariel was dating Rae's ex-boyfriend only made the working relationship that much more intense. "Jeff, I can explain—"

"Explain what?" Jeff put his hands on his hips. "What in the hell could you possibly explain to me? You know, I thought we were on to something. I thought we were reconciling. But never mind."

"Jeff, we just need to talk about this later."

"No, Ari. We don't need to talk about anything. You want Dave? Fine, you got him. But from this moment on…" He grabbed her face and stared into her soul. "…you're dead in my eyes."

-------------------------

"How did you sleep?"

"Alright. You?"

"Okay." Rae yawned. "I slept better when you weren't putting me in a chokehold, Orton."

"Keep it up and I'll blow my stank breath in your face." Randy grinned.

Rae scrunched her nose and covered her face with her hands. "You'll burn the hair off my face while you're at it."

Randy and Rae had been best friends for many years. They have also been lovers for quite some time. Although Randy understood that Rae needed time to be alone, he didn't mind that he was fortunate enough to still sleep with her.

Randy pulled Rae close to him and rested his chin on her right shoulder. "Still thinking about last night?"

"I feel so awful about what happened." She turned over and curled in the fetal position. "I just wish I kept my mouth shut."

Randy caressed Rae's bare back. "You did the right thing, Flower."

"I still feel like shit, though."

"Hey, it's not your fault she's a whore, Flower." Randy wasn't known to hold his opinion on how he truly felt—especially if it was a female he didn't like. "Everyone knows she spreads herself like currency. Hardy was bound to find out."

"Well, I wish he didn't find out from me." Rae's cell phone suddenly rang. She picked it up and held it to her view. "Oh, this should be pleasant."

"Who is it?"

Rae showed the phone to Randy. "Take a wild guess."

Randy smirked as he recognized the number. "Want me to talk to him?"

Rae quickly put her phone on silent. She then grabbed Randy's hand and led him to the bathroom. "Whatever he wants to talk to me about, it can wait." Rae knew what Dave wanted to talk to her about but Randy with a stiffy first thing in the morning was more important. "You're getting me off first."

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Rae arrived at the Smackdown!/ECW tapings early in the morning. She went straight to her booth and prepared herself for the upcoming shows. She was in the middle of testing the audio/visual equipment when she was interrupted. "Have a moment, Rachel?" Dave asked.

Rae glanced at her ex-boyfriend and stood still. To say they had a working relationship was the furthest thing from the truth. They were very cordial but made it a point to stay clear from each other. With Dave blowing up Rae's cell phone that morning, she had more reason to stay away from him. "I'm working, David."

"I think you have a moment to speak with me, don't you?"

Rae gathered the various cords and plugged them into sockets. She even re-plugged a few cords to show Dave she didn't need to be bothered. "No, I don't."

Dave put his hand on Rae's right hand and she immediately stopped her work. It has been way too long since she felt his touch and it still stirred the same feelings as before. However, Dave's feelings towards Rae were completely different. "I want to know why you're acting like a bitch."

Rae's eyes shot up at her ex-boyfriend. "Excuse me?"

"What happened between me and Ari that night had nothing to do with you and Jeff, for that matter. I would appreciate if you kept my name out of your conversation with anyone else from this moment on." He warned.

Rae adjusted her stance and folded her arms. "Or you'll do what?"

"Rachel, I'm trying hard to keep our relationship as professional as possible. Don't make this difficult." He then left for his dressing room.

Rae stood at her sound booth. She was too angry to cry and too much in shock to say anything. But if anyone knew anything about Rae, it was a known fact to never piss her off.

Unfortunately for Dave, he forgot that rule.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

"I just spoke with Rachel. Everything is fine now, Ari." Dave assured her.

Ariel replied with a nod. She was free to date Dave openly and pursue more of their impending relationship. But the way her and Jeff broke up still killed her inside. She wanted to make it right but she also knew any chance for salvation was blown to hell. "Thank you."

Dave wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. "You're welcome." He pulled away and lifted her chin to his face. "I need to get ready for the show. I'll see you, later."

"Later, David." Ariel smiled as she watched him walk away.

Moments later, Randy Orton strolled past Ariel. "Hey Ari."

Ariel's warm and fuzzy feelings dissipated upon hearing Randy's voice. He was only nice to her because he had to be. Various Divas voiced their concerns about his backstage behavior, forcing several fines and a rehab stint near Atlanta. If it wasn't for the Orton name, Ariel would've had him fired long ago. "Hello, Randy."

"How's Jeff?" Randy smirked.

-------------------------

During the show, everything went as smooth as possible. The crowd was pumped and the air was electric. Rae always had fun with the best seat in the house—the sound booth in the middle of the crowd.

Dave's music hit and the crowd rose to their feet. He came out and pointed to the crowd, and yelling out phrases. However, just as Dave came out, his pyros went off. He jolted back, covering his face from the fireworks. Once the fire came down, he looked over towards the sound booth to see a smiling Rae.

"Who's the bitch now?" She mouthed.


	5. You're Fired

"I really like you, Rae. I do. You are, by far, one of the best graphic designers this company has had in recent years. But I also don't want you to lose your job because of something stupid."

There were two Vince McMahons in the world of sports entertainment. The TV Vince McMahon was an exaggerated caricature of himself, although it was often debated how much exaggeration there was. His demeanor bordered on insanity and anything that was too controversial guaranteed ratings. The one shown on TV every week had an embellished walk, often flinging his arms wildly as if he was trying to get the kink out of them. He often spoke about the enormous size of his genital area, comparing it to grapefruits, which Rae gladly stopped eating.

The other Vince McMahon was smooth and collected, a calculating executive who stopped at nothing from achieving power and success. In the wrestling industry, one either loved him or loathed him. But one thing could not be denied was under no circumstances, would Vincent forgive someone who crossed him. He may let you get away with it once, but never twice.

Rae held her head down as she listened to Vince McMahon give her a nice, stern talking. While attempting to set Dave on fire generated a few high-fives and offers free meals from some of the wrestlers in the back, it also brought unwanted attention from her boss. _It sounded like a good idea at the time. _"I understand, Vince. It will never happen again." Rae whispered.

"I know that. That's why you're not fired." He then straightened out his tie. "I will be in contact, Rachel."

"Yes, Vince." She watched him walk away. Rae let out a deep sigh and rolled her eyes. She didn't know if Ariel and Dave went to Vince or he just happened to be watching the footage backstage. But all she know that she if she wanted to save her job, Rae needed to avoid Dave like the plague. She tried to convince herself that she didn't care about him anymore or his obvious flaunting of flings right in front of her.

But if Dave didn't care about Rae, why should she care about him? _Because unfortunately, I do. _

-----------------------------------------------

Dave checked his face for the eighth time in two hours, looking for any tissue damage caused by the fireworks. He was fortunate enough that he wasn't close enough to suffer any serious damage. Yet, Dave also knew that had he walked out a bit further, Rae might have killed him. The worst part of the thought was Dave felt he given her the perfect defense: killing in the moment of passion. _Yeah, working with the ex is always fun! _

"I could have her fired, you know?" Ariel said as she watched Dave from the bed.

"For what?" Dave said as he continued to check his face and body. "It was a freak accident."

Ariel took off her reading glasses and stared at Dave in the mirror. _The fuck it was an accident. _"She tried to kill you, David. We should file charges."

"I don't think she tried to kill me, Ari." Dave cautioned. "Set my ass on fire? Yes. Trying to kill me? No." He then paused and thought about his own admission. He wasn't too sure if he entirely believed the last question. "We're dropping this discussion."

Ariel got up from bed and wrapped her arms around her boyfriend. She smoothed her hands over his chest and softly kissed his back. A small moan escaped Dave's lips as Ariel played with his body. Although he was tired and probably should take it easy, those feelings never stopped Dave from wanting to get laid. They have been casually dating for the past several weeks, often spending the night with each other. Just when Dave wanted to pursue the relationship a bit further, Ariel always stopped him, giving him the same "I'm not ready" speech.

Dave Bautista considered himself a patient man. He rarely became angry and lost his temper. If anything, he walked away from most situations. But as a man, Dave knew he was only faithful as his options. He was willing to wait for Ariel to become comfortable, but it also meant they should stop spending the night until she did so. "I want you, Ari." He whispered.

Ariel stopped stroking Dave's chest and sat behind him on the queen-sized bed. She wasn't a Diva but she wasn't showcasing a million-dollar body, neither. She knew she could use some toning if she wanted to break out her gym membership and blow the dust off the card. But she was self-conscious like most women. Dave claimed he didn't care but when a man eats a filet mignon, he's not going to want a hamburger afterward.

"David, your last girlfriend was a Playboy Playmate. She has a perfect body." Ariel covered herself up. "I can't follow that act."

"I'm not comparing you to Rebecca, if that's your concern."

"Um, yes?" Ariel shot back.

Dave glanced up at the ceiling and smiled. Dave and former Diva Search Contestant Rebecca DiPietro had a short-lived fling. He immediately dated her right after his break-up with Rae. Rae kept her comments to herself but it didn't stop Mickie from labeling Dave as "Captain Save-A-Ho." "This is going to sound wrong of me but sometimes, Ari…." He paused momentarily. "...A guy fucks a Playboy Playmate, just to say he fucked a Playboy Playmate."

Dave sat beside Ariel and laughed at the uncomfortable situation. If he said the wrong thing and told Ariel how he really felt—_I don't compare apples and oranges—_ he was a dead man. If he said the right thing—_You have nothing to worry about. Your bodies are completely different—_ he was a dead man. Dave decided to walk the proverbial tightrope as carefully as possible with his next statement. "I think you're beautiful, Ari."

Before Dave could praise how much he loved her body, Ariel was already on top of him.

----------------------------------

Dave and Ariel arrived at Raw together. They were now in a full-blown relationship and they both felt comfortable going public. Their new relationship was the open secret backstage and amongst the wrestling gossip circles. No one was entirely surprised yet, everyone had the exact same question: How long was this fling going to last?

Separating so they both could prepare for the night, Ariel went over the script for that night's Raw. She made sure all the lines were simple enough for delivery and distributed the sheets to the wrestlers involved. She was on her way to the Divas locker room when she heard the familiar guitar strumming. _Jeffy's playing. _

Peeking out from around the corner, Ariel watched in sheer jealousy as Jeff show Torrie how to play the guitar. He wasn't an expert by any means but he knew enough to write a song and strum along. He stood closely behind Torrie while she kept glancing up to him, making sure she was doing it right. His arms were touching hers as he showed her how to find the G chord. Torrie giggled and laughed as she attempted to follow directions.

Feeling increasingly jealous, Ariel promptly walked up to Jeff and Torrie. "Excuse me," She cleared her throat. "I think it's time for you to get ready, Ms. Wilson."

Torrie made a face towards Jeff, signaling they were both caught with their hands in the cookie jar. "Sorry." She stood up from the stool and winked at Jeff. "See you later, Jeffy."

_Jeffy? Jeffy? No, you skank whore, I call him Jeffy! _

"Bye, Torrie." Jeff waved as he watched her leave. Jeff gathered his guitar and began to walk away.

"Mr. Hardy?" Ariel stopped him.

_Mr. Hardy? So, we're going there, huh? _Jeff turned around and smirked at his ex. "Yes, Ms. Lee?"

"If you're going to play around, I suggest you don't do it on company time. It's very unprofessional of you."

Jeff wanted to laugh. He had been playing his guitar backstage for many years and even painted during his free time. Now the very things upper management didn't care about, were suddenly causing a distraction. "Is that it, Ms. Lee?"

Ariel held her stance and nodded sternly. "That's all."

Jeff walked up to Ariel and once again stared into her thoughts. Through his eyes, Jeff often said what was on his mind without saying a single word. But this time, he needed to say his piece. Ariel was intentionally making life difficult without trying. "Do you want to help or hurt? Because if your job is to hurt others, you deserve a fuckin' promotion."

----------------------------

"Hey Dave," Randy greeted. "How's it going, man?"

Upon arriving for a dark match at Raw, Dave sized up his former teammate and Public Enemy Number One. The two kept a respectable distance from each other since their match at Survivor Series. Yet, despite their cordial professional relationship, it didn't stop the two from seething hateful thoughts about each other whenever possible. Dave couldn't stand Randy and Randy could not give a damn less.

But when it came to Rae, all bets were off. Randy accepted the fact him and Rae would always be best friends as long as Dave was nowhere near her. And with Randy sleeping with Rae on a continual basis, he made sure of it.

"I'm good, Orton. You?"

"I'm doing well." Randy smirked. "Say, I saw you last Friday. Impressive at the show, man. You're looking like you're in the best shape of your career."

Dave nodded but waited for Randy's negative retort. Whenever Randy gave a compliment, an insult soon followed. "Thanks."

"I mean, your ass was on fire!"


	6. STFU

"How do you manage to do that all the time?" Torrie asked.

Jeff eased the razor across his chin, nipping at the last hairs on his chin. Every day, it took him at least 30 minutes sculpting his beard. He once tried it when he was younger because he was bored and nothing better to do. Over time as he became older, it became something he grew to love. "I just do." He said in his charming, Southern draw.

Torrie wrapped her arms around Jeff's waist and rested her chin on his right shoulder. She wasn't sure what to think of what happened the night before between them. She would be naïve to think the lovemaking was the start of a new relationship but she hoped it wasn't just a temporary lapse in judgment, neither. Instead, she took it for what it was worth: a night of mind-blowing sex. Jeff needed to be comforted and she was more than willing to give him something he could feel—over and over and over. "I think it looks amazing."

Jeff tapped the razor against the sink before running under the running water. He dried off his face with a nearby towel and looked at Torrie in the mirror. "Thank you." He said softly.

"Jeffy, I know what's going on between you and Ari. I'm willing to step away if that's what you need."

"Honestly, Torrie, I don't know what I need." He replied honestly. "I can't promise you anything, though."

"That's alright." She said, running her fingers through his purple hair. "I just wanted to let you know that I get it."

Jeff gave a devious grin. He turned around and picked up Torrie, carrying her to the queen bed the pair had rummaged through the night before. "Oh, you're going to get it."

-----------------------------------

"I really wish you didn't say anything, Thumper." Rae shook her head as she prepared her plate. "You just made things worse now."

Randy and Rae were at the complimentary breakfast bar at the local hotel. Since many of the wrestlers were doing crossover appearances, they all met up and traveled together often. "How, Flower? I just gave him a compliment." Randy shrugged. He picked up a few pieces of bacon and placed them on Rae's plate. "I merely said his ass was on fire."

Edge chuckled as he looked over. "You said what, man?"

"What? Dave's in the best shape of his career." Randy defended; his face completely straight without cracking a smile. "His ass is on fire."

Rae gathered some silverware and sat down at the table. "You didn't need to say it, Randy."

"What in the hell is he going to do? You're not fired and his ass isn't Kentucky Fried." Randy shrugged. "He isn't going to do shit."

Randy, Rae and Edge joined the other wrestlers in the restaurant. While Edge and Randy talked business and upcoming matches, Rae was too upset to eat. She stared down at her food, constantly picking at her scrambled eggs. After a few minutes of playing with her food, Randy finally interrupted Rae. "Do you plan to actually eat that or are you making a sculpture of that shit?"

Rae dropped her fork and looked up. "I'm tired of this fucking shit."

"We can go somewhere else, Flower. It's not a big deal."

"No, not this." She pointed to her already-cold breakfast. "I couldn't give a damn about this shit. You know, I put my heart and soul into my work and I never had a problem with anyone. And yes, I'll admit it; I fucked up. Yeah, I shouldn't have cheated. But it doesn't give him the right to treat me like I'm some fucking child." Rae's voice steadily raised and she didn't care who heard her. She needed to get some release from her body and mind. "And you know what, fuck him!"

Randy and Edge smiled. "Well, yes…" Randy started…

"Because sometimes someone pisses you off you so bad, you just want to slap that asshole senseless." Rae huffed.

"Girl…" Booker T warned, amusing the other wrestlers around him. "You're talking to the wrong person, Rae."

"But Booker, let's be real." Rae spoke to him. "Don't you sometimes have that urge to just put someone in their place?" She looked around to the other wrestlers. "I mean, isn't that true?"

"And Rae, once again, you're talking to the wrong person." Booker shook his head as the other wrestlers kept laughing. "You're talking to the wrong person, sweetheart."

The other wrestlers laughed amongst themselves as Dave and Ariel soon made their way to the tables. Seeing her ex and his new girlfriend didn't quiet Rae; it just made her want to have her point heard.

"Isn't that right?" Rae asked loudly. "Sometimes…just sometimes someone will pissed you off so bad, they need to be knocked the fuck out." She then turned to Dave. "Right, David?"


	7. What You Don't Know

"Feeling better, Flower?" Randy asked.

After her tirade in front of the other WWE talent, Rae went back upstairs to her room and had an emotional cry. She needed to release the emotion that was building up inside her for the past several months. She hated Dave quickly moved onto two other relationships without acknowledging their union. She hated Dave flaunted and flashed Rebecca and Ariel in her face without considering her feelings.

Rae mostly hated herself for still being in love with Dave. "I feel a little better." She mumbled.

Randy pulled his best friend and part-time lover close to him. He wrapped his arms around her and rubbed her back. "Sure about that? It's okay to be upset."

"I wish I wasn't." She mumbled. "I hate him, Randy."

"No, you don't." He knew better. Rae hated Dave just like she loved to cook. "You wish you hate him."

Rae looked up at Randy as she kept sniffling. "It's so easy for you to hate him."

"Because he makes it easy to hate his stupid-ass." Randy said as Rae cracked a smile. "There's a lot to hate his ass but you don't want to hear that right now."

"Yeah, I do." She said.

"Well, his promos suck." Randy mentioned. "Why is he always yelling mid-sentence?" He began to do his best Batista impersonation. "AND TONIGHT, I'm going to KICK the devil's ASS! Dude, calm the fuck down." He rolled his eyes.

Rae giggled and Randy smiled. "Like that?" He asked as she nodded. "What about his big-ass ears and no lips?"

Rae wanted to agree with Randy on that point but she couldn't. Her thoughts quickly went to how Dave feasted on her body night after night. She remembered her body riding his tongue as she pulled on his ears. The way his tongue delved into her heat was something out of many masturbation fantasies. And Rae was so sure Randy wanted to hear that right now. "They are pretty big." She mumbled.

"But they're not as big as something else." Randy then pulled Rae on top of him. He rubbed her back once again and kissed the side of her temple. "I'll give you something else to think about right now."

-------------------------------------------------

"Yeah, breakfast wasn't uncomfortable." Ariel said as she entered the hotel room.

Dave quickly followed behind her and closed the door. "Well, it could've been worse."

"I guess." Ariel kicked off her heels and collapsed on the bed. "I just have to get used to dealing with her."

"It's just a phase, Ari." Dave cautioned. "She'll get over it."

"Easy for you to say." Ariel replied. "That doesn't mean she'll do it."

Dave laid beside his girlfriend on the bed. He softly rubbed her back and kissed her cheek. "It'll be fine, Ari. It's just a temporary thing. Our exes work with us. We just have to deal with it."

"I guess." Ariel mumbled. The uncomfortable breakfast was interesting enough with she and Dave being made as jokes. It was worse with the inconspicuous absence of Jeff and Torrie. No one noticed the pair's absence as much as Ariel did. Even when breakfast was over, there was still no sighting of the pair.

Ariel wanted to say she didn't care what and who Jeff did. But she also knew she was lying to her heart. She still cared about him and she couldn't figure out why exactly. Dave had everything she wanted and they had so much in common. From their favorite TV shows to even listening to the same bands, Ariel and Dave appeared to be everything from the outside looking in.

But that was the point. Appearances were deceiving and Ariel was struggling with that conclusion. With the Executive Vice President of Creative dating the top Superstar, why wouldn't it work? _Worse yet, why do I care so much?_

"Can I ask you a personal question?" Dave began. It was something that had been on his mind for a while and he wasn't sure how to approach Ariel with the sensitive subject. But his curiosity was getting the best of him.

"Sure." Ariel turned over and faced her boyfriend. "What's up?"

"How were you able to put up with Jeff's using? He had to be in pretty bad shape."

Ariel looked at Dave and then at the bed sheets. There was never a question Jeff was on drugs and it cost him his job with the WWE four years ago. But it was still a taboo subject. Even in recent interviews, Jeff still denied he had a problem, though it was clear to everyone around him he needed an intervention. "I just did." She replied.

"I can't imagine the strain it put on your relationship and your job at work." Dave said. "You're a brave woman."

_I'm not that brave. _ "Um, I have a confession to make."

"Yes?"

Ariel chose her words carefully. She spent most of the last four years ducking, dodging, and defending Jeff, even when they weren't together. They weren't on good terms right now, but Ariel still had a need to protect him. "I enabled Jeff."

Dave nodded. "I understand. I mean, you were together for a long time. You probably had no choice but to enable him."

"Dave, you don't understand. I didn't just enable Jeff." Ariel took a deep breath and waited for the backlash. "I also used with him."


	8. Bamboolzed

_Author's Note: The poem used is by Jeff Hardy, titled "For You"_

_This chapter contains strong sexual content. _

---------------------------------------

There were three types of relationships in the WWE. One was the serious relationships—couples who were either living together or married. Another one was known as open affairs—the Diva or Superstar were involved in another relationship but were seeing one of their co-workers during the travel time. The last one was the usual hook-ups—relationships that would start and last maybe a week, if best.

Jeff and Torrie did not fall into either of the categories. She wasn't his girlfriend and he wasn't her boyfriend. But there was no label on their relationship, if there was one. Yet, whatever was going on between them led Jeff to invite Torrie to his home in Cameron, North Carolina for a week.

There was always a mystery surrounding Jeff, as if you never quite knew everything about him. Of course, that was intentional on Jeff's part. The more people who knew his business, the more prying eyes and whispers would start. He dealt enough with that when he left the WWE four years ago. So when he asked Torrie to join him at his home, she was surprised. She gotten accustomed to them being just friendly bed buddies, comforting each other in need. Now she was opening herself to the possibility of something more.

"…And over here is my studio." Jeff pointed out as she showed Torrie his large acreage. She had seen his home and Matt's; visited their father; met his cousins; went riding with him on his dirt bike and capped off the excitement with a marathon sex session, christening every room in Jeff's double-wide. Jeff was full of energy while Torrie felt her legs were about to collapse from exhaustion.

It was only five in the evening.

Torrie wanted to complain but she was having too much fun. She was lucky, being one of the very few to be close enough to get inside Jeff's head for once. Granted, a lot of things he did were quirky and just flat-out weird. But there was an essence about him that was hypnotizing and magnetic, like if he was pulling you in without trying.

Torrie briefly stepped inside Jeff's makeshift studio. It was painted with a vast array of color schemes and she wasn't quite sure what she was looking at. From one angle, it looked like Jeff's self-portrait. From another angle, it looked demonic. But still, she couldn't knock Jeff's creativity. "Nice." She said.

"You can tell me if you think it sucks, Torrie. Matt does all the time." Jeff replied.

"I think it's nice, Jeffy." She said sweetly. "It's very creative."

"Is that your way of saying you think it sucks?" Jeff smiled.

As Jeff and Torrie walked back to him, Torrie spotted the woodsy area of the Hardy land. The area where there were nothing but bamboo trees for yards. "What's over here?" She pointed.

Jeff was hoping Torrie didn't see the bamboo. _But it's pretty damn hard to miss, Hardy. _"Yeah, there's the bamboo area. Say, are you hungry?"

Torrie smiled and walked over to the bamboo. "Aren't you going to show me, Jeffy?"

Jeff took a moment to keep himself from groaning too loud. "Sure but really quickly, though. We need to eat dinner."

Torrie giggled as she walked through the bamboo. There were a ton of them and they constantly hit her face. "Did you get hide a lot when you were a kid?"

_This is really fuckin' uncomfortable. _"Of course, I did. If I hid in here, I didn't have to get a whoopin' from my dad."

Torrie laughed some more as she walked through the bamboo. "You were a bad-ass, weren't you?"

"I haven't done anything too bad." _Okay, we're in here too damn long. _"Alright, dinner?"

---------------------------------------

While Torrie was resting, Jeff was making dinner. One of his surprising many talents was how skilled he was in the kitchen. He loved his share of junk food, but there was nothing like having a home-cooked meal. He planned to cook something simple that night; steak, potatoes, and probably some vegetables.

But as simplistic the menu was, Jeff's mind was pre-occupied with more complicated matters. For the past hour, all he kept thinking about was the bamboo and the memory associated with them.

---------------------------------------------------

"_This was a great idea to have a picnic out here, Jeffy." Ariel said as she laid the blanket down. "It's such a nice day out here."_

_Jeff placed the picnic basket on the blanket and began to rummage through it. "It's a great day." Once he placed all the food out, he pretended that he couldn't find something. "Shit, I thought I put it in here."_

"_What? I can go back and get it." Ariel said._

"_No, I thought it was in here." Jeff kept rummaging through the empty basket._

_Ariel was placing the food out when she saw a handwritten note was attached to a plate. It had her name on it. She quickly unfolded it and read the message._

_You comfort me better than any chair, bed, room, or house---  
You amaze me more than any facts, stories, truths, or lies--- __  
You enhance me more than any drug, drink, pill, or powder--- __  
You predict me better than any parent, coach, counselor, or teacher--- __  
You season me better than any salt, pepper, winter, or summer--- __  
You entertain me more than any movie, show, song, or competition--- __  
You control me better than any school, job, jail, or prison--- __  
You love me more than any person, God, business, or existance--- __  
In my existance...Believe...I do __  
In our existance...I live...for you_

_When Ariel put the poem down, she saw Jeff's smile. "A-ha. You found it!"_

_She always knew Jeff was talented and creative but she was absolutely blown away by reading this piece. Now she wanted to show him how much she appreciated him. She wanted Jeff and the picnic could wait. "Come here, Jeffy."_

_Jeff quickly took off his shirt. He barely got his jeans off when Ariel surprised him with a blow job. She quickly took him in her mouth, sucking him slow. She swirled her tongue over his shaft and placed him back inside her inviting mouth. She briefly stopped to remove her shorts and panties when Jeff wanted to return the favor._

_He nudged Ariel's legs apart and caressed her soft folds. He circled her nipples with his index finger and trailed it down to her navel, where he dipped his tongue inside her belly button. He placed small kisses to her pelvic region until he reached his goal. Getting into a comfortable position, Jeff began to feast on Ariel. She gently parted her folds and dived his tongue inside her. He lightly lapped at her nub, playing with it almost. Ariel reached out and held onto the bamboo as her back arched off the blanket. Feeling Jeff's tongue on her body was beyond bliss. It was pure heaven. _

_Just when Ariel was about to climax, Jeff stopped. He kissed the inside of her thighs and trailed his tongue to her navel to her nipples and finally kissed her lips. He eased himself inside her, both drawing a deep breath from the tight pleasure. "Tell me when it hurts." He whispered._

_He moved to a slow rhythm inside her. He cupped her face and looked into her eyes; staring into her soul. She grabbed his left wrist and lightly sucked on his index finger as continued to thrust inside her. Ariel moaned softly as the light breeze tickled her body and Jeff began to thrust faster inside her. Soon, Ariel felt an orgasm building. She grabbed Jeff's back and pressed him against her body. _

"_Give me your hands, Ari." Jeff purred._

"_Jeffy…" She moaned._

"_Give me your hands, Ari."_

_Ariel reluctantly let go of Jeff's back and held hands with him. Jeff pumped inside her more until Ariel screamed out in pleasure. When she opened her eyes, she saw Jeff was his head tilted back and a look of euphoria on his face. He then looked down at her. Her brown eyes were smiling back at him. _

"_I love you, Jeffy." _

"_I love you, too, Ari."_

-----------------------------------------------

Jeff stared out the window and shook his head of the memory. _I should've never brought that bitch home. Now I'm going have to destroy those bamboos._

Quietly waking up from her nap, Torrie studied Jeff's face from a short distance. It was clear his mind was elsewhere but marinating the steaks. Torrie moved closer to Jeff. She wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed her body on his back. "When was the last time you spoke to her, Jeff?" Torrie asked.

Jeff looked out the window and shrugged. "I'm not interested in talking to or about her."

Backstage flings were common and Torrie knew better than anyone her visit to Jeff's home as his pseudo-girlfriend was the final one. But Torrie couldn't bear knowing he was once again torturing himself by shutting everyone out. "I think you should."


	9. Open Mouth, Insert Foot

Ariel wanted to feel comfortable. She spent the last hour and half tossing and turning, trying to get into a comfy position on the oversized bed. The pillow top mattress was perfection. The 600-count Egyptian sheets were heavenly.

But to Ariel, they were as comfortable as laying on a concrete floor. For the past several days, Dave had barely spoken a word to Ariel about her confession—almost to the point of ignoring the topic altogether. And when Dave brought her to his townhouse, they talked about everything other than the pressing topic.

And if Dave had it his way, they wouldn't have to talk about it. "Can't sleep?" He whispered.

_Nice observation, Captain Obvious. _ "I'm fine. I'm just trying to get comfortable."

"A lot on your mind?" He asked.

Ariel turned over and then sat up. "Actually, yes, David. There is. We need to talk."

Dave briefly glanced at his alarm clock. The time read 3:30 AM. If he was lucky, he could pretend he was sleep-talking and the whole 'We need to talk' conversation would blow over. But he didn't think Ariel was going to be that understanding. "Yes?"

"You've been avoiding the topic since the past week, David. I'm starting to feel you're keeping your distance from me."

_Well, I am._ "Ari, can't we talk about this in the morning?"

"No, now is as good a time as ever, David." She nudged him to get up. "We need to discuss this. I want to know how you feel."

Dave let out a deep breath. _Oh, women are the death of me. _He reached over and turned on one of the lights. He rubbed his face and turned towards his girlfriend. "Talk." He said quietly.

Ariel grabbed her legs and pulled them close to her. "Well, I don't have anything to say now."

"Oh hell no!" Dave shook his head. "You want to talk about your confession, damnit woman, we're going to talk about it."

Ariel suddenly faced herself in a 'put up or shut up' situation. She wanted to be honest with Dave but now she was afraid of being too truthful. She wanted to excise the guilt she had been feeling for the past four years but she also wanted to keep it private.

She was officially fucked. _I need to start keeping my mouth shut. _

The clock was ticking and Ariel could tell Dave was getting increasingly irritated. She started to speak and only stopped when she needed to catch her breath. "At first, it was his muscle relaxers. You know how wrestlers get—always in pain and not enough time to heal properly. Occasionally, he had a joint from one of his cousins but it was nothing major." Ariel took a deep sigh. "But then it gradually became worse.

"He began to experiment with different drugs, creating new highs. I can't count the number of times Jeff had been up for days at a time. He would go into his studio and write music. He would paint and create his little aluminummies.

"And it just became something I did to keep up with him. He was always bouncing off the walls…he would stay up for hours and hours painting, making music…" Ariel reminisced. "…it was exhausting. Next thing I know, I was getting high just to wake up in the morning. I was using just to prepare for a meeting. I was sneaking off at lunch to take a hit." She shook her head. "It took a hold of me."

She shook her head and sighed. "It was an open secret that Jeff was the known "junkie" in the WWE. But no one knew about me. When I lost weight, everyone complimented me on my new looks. I started to tan when I was getting pale. I thought I was hiding it well. That is, until Vince found out.

"He pulled Jeff and I into the backstage area one day and gave us both the option to either go to rehab or get fired. I chose rehab. And Jeff…" Her voice trailed off. "Well, we know what decision he made."

Dave let out a deep sigh as he tried to place Ariel's story with his memory. Then it began to make sense. Ariel surprised everyone by taking an extended leave of absence for three months. _Enough time to just clean. _

Studying her lover's face, Ariel was hoping Dave's reaction would shed some light. She was not used to being emotional in front of anybody. She built a career on being the "Ice Princess," being focused more on results and deal with emotions and feelings later. Now she was breaking down in front of someone else. "Say something, David."

Dave slightly shrugged. "What do you want me to say?"

"I want to know how you feel."

"I don't know how to feel."

"Dave, don't hide your feelings."

"You just told me that you used to be a crackhead, Ari." Dave shrugged. "I'm a little surprised."


	10. Gettin' Personal

_Author's Note: Thank you once again for the reviews!_

_Now, for the cliffhanger in this chapter, if you read Choices, it would make sense. If you haven't, well, it'll probably confuse the hell out of you, lol. But since I'm sweet like that, take a look at chapters 22, 23, and 29 in Choices. (Don't worry, they're short chapters)_

_-----------------------------------------------_

"You actually called her a crackhead?" Tracy Bautista laughed. "Wow, David. You really are an asshole!"

Dave rolled eyes at his ex-wife's berating. "It slipped."

"Bullshit!" Tracy laughed. "After being married to you, there is not a damn thing that accidentally slips out of your mouth, David. You said that shit with all intention of being an asshole." She sipped her mimosa. "Congratulations, motherfucker. You succeeded."

"How was I supposed to react?" Dave defended. "She woke me up at four in the morning to talk about her past drug use? I was sleepy, I was grouchy, I was…"

"An asshole!" Tracy laughed. "You don't even know what drugs she took and you automatically called her a crackhead?"

"It was an accident, Tracy." Dave emphasized.

"You know I heard that excuse before." Tracy began to snap her fingers and ponder. "Now where have I heard that before? Oh yes! When you fucked Dawn Marie, that was an accident. Oh yeah, and when you fucked Victoria, that was an accident too! Oh yeah, and when you fucked…."

"Are you done?" Dave interrupted.

"Hardly." She smiled. "But since you're paying for my very wonderful brunch, I'll stop…for now." She smiled again, causing a death stare from her ex-husband. "So have you spoken to her since?"

To say the confession caused damage and strife between Ariel and Dave was dead-on. They were still a couple but it was becoming increasing obvious to those around them it was in name only. "Eh, we've been avoiding each other."

"You really know how to fuck up a relationship when it gets too complicated, don't you?" She said.

"You're really begging me to cease the alimony payments, aren't you?" Dave retorted.

Tracy took a bite of her omelette and smiled. "How's Rae?"

Dave gave a defensive shrug. He had enough on his plate with Ariel and Rae really wasn't an afterthought. "I guess she's fine."

"0 Dave, 3 Tracy." She said.

"She's been busy, Trace." Dave explained. "I've been busy, too."

"You know, I never thought I would say this…"

"So enlighten me and keep your mouth shut."

"But…" Tracy interjected. "I think you and Rae belong together."

Dave stared at his ex-wife. There were very few moments Dave wanted to admit Tracy was right. However, this was not one of them. "I thought you were going to enlighten me."

"Well, here's something for you." Tracy took out a small envelope and slid it across the table. "I trust you enough to give it to Rae the next time you see her."

Dave glanced down at the envelope and back at his ex. He wasn't sure what the women in his life were planning and nor did he want to be a part of it. "Who invited her?"

"Me and the girls." She replied. "You're optional."

------------------------------------------

"You know the more I see you, the more I can't help but to wonder…why haven't you gotten another injury?" Randy grinned.

Arriving backstage at Raw, Dave wanted to laugh at his younger nemesis. Randy was so deep in his own shit, many began to wonder if he could still see properly. Yet, it never stopped Randy from curiously flirting with trouble. He knew just as much as anyone that the worse would happen to him would be a fine—a very hefty one, at that. "Real funny coming from a junkie." Dave smiled. "Say, how are those drugs for your menopause and man titties?"

"Real original coming from guy still holding onto what's left of his career." Randy smiled. "Oh, how have the mighty have fallen."

"Yeah, I fell hard alright." Dave commented. "I fell so hard I got a pay raise, an endorsement deal, and a role on Smallville. I main-evented the last four pay-per-views."

"Which you jobbed like a motherfucker." Randy added.

"Before I knock you on your ass, is there a reason why you're talking to me?"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk…" Randy slowly shook his head. "Temper, temper, old one. I just wanted to extend a friendly hello to you." He then smiled. "And I hope Rae doesn't set your ass on fire tonight." He gave Dave's shoulder a quick pat and then left.

Dave stood and watched Randy leave. Oh how he wanted to knock him the fuck out right then and there. But there would be another day and time for fights. Right now, Dave just wanted to get focused on preparing for his match. Just as Dave was turning around, he caught a glimpse of Rae leaving the Divas' locker room. They met eyes with each other and Rae quickly hurried off to her sound booth.

Wearing simple attire consisting of jeans and a tank top, Rae was looking radiant. Dave always loved how she could glam it up with the Divas and hold her own, yet she could rock a 'round the way style and still be stylish. He wanted to hate her but he couldn't. He was angry with her, but he still cared deeply about her. "Beautiful." Dave called out to her. It wasn't until after her nickname slipped past his lips Dave realized what he just said.

Rae's feet became cement blocks the moment she heard Dave's voice. She closed her eyes and inhaled, hoping her feelings would calm down. Just a few weeks ago, she wanted to set him on fire. Now she wanted to make love to him for hours. Slowly, she turned around and faced him. The last thing she needed to do was cause a scene. "Yes, David?"

Dave walked up to her and smiled. "Thank you for the personal invite to a barbeque the other day." He grinned.

Rae tucked a lock of her curly hair behind an ear. She looked down at her feet and smiled shyly. "Sorry about that."

"I understand. I kinda deserve it." He admitted. "Um, there's a reason I wanted to talk to you."

_Great. Thank you, Dave, for getting me fired because you said something that made me set you on fire again. _"Yes?"

Dave gave Rae the small envelope. "Elani is having a birthday party on Thursday and she wanted to know if you would like to come?"

Rae opened the envelope and looked at the invitation. She was confused by what was happening. The last time she heard anything regarding the girls, it was because they spited her. Now Elani was extending the olive branch. "Why?" She whispered.

"She wanted you to be there." Dave replied. "You don't have to come if you don't want to…"

"No, no, I want to. I'm just…surprised."

"So I'll see you on Thursday?" Dave asked.

Rae smiled. "You'll see me on Thursday."

From a distance, Randy Orton saw the interactions between his best friend and worst enemy. He knew the relationship between him and Rae was a glorified version of fuck buddies, but it didn't stop the tug she had on his heart. And if it meant he had to do whatever it took to keep a tight grasp on her, he was willing to get more personal. "Can we go over my entrance..." He called out. "Penny?"


	11. Rekindling the Flames

"How's Brownie?"

"She's good."

"And how's Little Man?"

"He's good."

"And Whitey?"

"They're all good, Ms. Lee." Jeff finally answered. The last thing he wanted to talk about was his dogs, especially with his ex-girlfriend. "Now what was it you wanted to address me about?"

Ariel took off her glasses and handed Jeff his appearance schedule. She was overcompensating for all the problems her and Dave were having and it was clearly showing. "Here are your appearances for the month. I can safely assume there won't be any problems with you showing up to them, correct?"

_Get your licks in while you can, Ari. _Jeff glanced down at the appearance schedule. He knew there were a lot of scheduled appearances and signings in the Eastern region of the United States. Yet, Jeff felt it was interesting how the bulk the signings took place in New York, where Ariel was from.

Getting the cheapest of hotel rooms proved to be expensive at times and Jeff often stayed with Ariel in her luxury apartment. He did not know if it was coincidence that Ariel gave him the New York schedule or if she was trying to tell him something.

But whatever it was, Jeff wasn't trying to hear it. "I won't have any problems, Ms. Lee. Is that all for now?"

Ariel quietly sighed. She wanted Jeff to ask her about her day and what was new in her life. She wanted to talk about the paranormal and supernatural. Instead, she accepted the fact she officially shot herself in the foot. She killed two relationships within a few months without even trying. _Way to go, smart bitch. _ "That's all for now, Jeffrey."

"Thank you." Jeff nodded and then walked away. He stopped briefly and looked down at the concrete floor. He knew what he was about to ask was going to be dangerous and quite frankly, stupid. But he also knew he didn't have that much of a choice in the matter. Turning around, he walked back towards his ex. "If for some inexplicable reason I can't get a room, would it be okay that I stayed with you?"

Ariel smiled. She knew she shouldn't get too excited about Jeff staying with her. But she also looked at his would-be stay for potential of smoothing out rough feelings between the pair. "You're always welcome to stay with me, Jeff."

------------------------------------------------

Cold. Ariel always liked it cold. It could be thirty degrees outside yet her apartment would be a crisp 70 degrees inside. There was no rhyme or reason for wanting the apartment that damn cold; it was just one of thing that made Ariel that special. _And fuckin' looney. _

Everything was still the same. The fireplace in the corner with the enormous aquarium that was straight ahead. The candy paint color on the walls. The stainless steel appliances in the kitchen with the marble countertop. And then there was the master bedroom. The queen-sized bed that Jeff and Ariel spent many hours making love, having pillow fights and talks for hours on end.

After Jeff settled into his bedroom, he collapsed onto the bed and stared at the ceiling. His appearance tomorrow at the New York Sports Club was the first of throughout the month. Doing the quick mental math, he figured he would spend a lot of time at Ariel's place. _This could be either really good or really bad. _

"Knock, knock." Ariel said as she knocked on the door. "Are you hungry?"

Jeff stretched out across the bed. "I could use a bite."

"Chinese?"

"Sure."

Ariel smiled. "Okay. I'll make the call now."

"Thanks." Jeff nodded back. "Ari?"

"Yes?"

Jeff smiled. "Thank you for letting me stay here."

Ariel felt her heart flutter a million movements. She wasn't sure what she expected to happen that night but she was open to the possibility of anything else. "You're welcome, Jeffy."

---------------------------------------------

Elani Bautista was officially turning 17 years old today. She hated turning 17 for the sheer fact there was nothing to celebrate. Her parents threw her a blowout Sweet Sixteen, giving her a new Jetta for her birthday. Now she was in limbo, as she put it. Old enough to know better, but not legal enough to do anything. It would be another year until she could hit the clubs and buy cigarettes, if she wanted. She could vote and join the Army, but probably not on the same day.

The only silver lining in Elani turning 17 was the fact she was getting another birthday party, which meant more free gifts. _Rock on, sister! _

As Elani played hostess to her 25 guests, Dave and Tracy watched the action with their friends. Noticeably absent was Rae. "I thought you gave Rachel the invite, David."

"I gave it to her." Dave said as he took a sip of his drink. "She said she was going to be here."

"What is it about you and the women at your work, David?" Tracy smiled. "Either you make them quit, move to another brand, or get fired altogether."

"Tracy, you're on the bubble."

Before Tracy could retort with another wise remark, Rae walked in through the front door. She looked unsure, as if she wasn't entirely positive if she should be there. She closed the door behind her and waited around to see if anyone would approach her first.

"Rachel!" Tracy waved as she quickly walked over to her. "I'm so glad you came over, sweetie! Come on in! Do you need a drink? Are you hungry?"

Rae smiled uncomfortably as Tracy led her to the kitchen. "I could use something to eat."

"Good. Wait right here and I'll be back with a plate." Tracy then left for the patio.

Rae pulled up a stool as she waited in the kitchen. She knew Dave was right in front her, standing only a few feet away. But she also didn't want to make any contact unless it was absolutely necessary. "I don't bite, you know?" Dave interrupted the silence.

"I know." Rae said quietly.

Dave walked over to the breakfast bar where Rae was. He stood directly in front of her, and leaned in closer toward her. He placed a finger on her chin and lifted her gaze to meet his. "Unless you want me to."


	12. Cooling Down and Heating Up

"How's Dave?" Jeff asked as he dipped into his Mooshu pork.

Ariel played with her chopsticks and vegetables. "I guess he's fine."

"Everything's coming up roses?"

"I told him about what happened four years ago." Ariel said. "His reaction wasn't what I expected."

Jeff took another bite of his dinner. He knew a part of Ariel's confession wasn't her getting something off her chest. It was also a ploy to make a relationship have an abrupt end. She used it on John Cena; she used it on Edge and now she was using it on Dave, who Jeff thought Ariel did him a favor to get out of the relationship. "What did you expect his reaction to be, Ariel?" Jeff asked. "Dave's not known for keeping his opinions to himself."

"I just didn't think he would react like that."

Jeff looked inside his take-out box. Ariel couldn't tell if he was more interested in the dinner or the conversation. "You're always surprised, aren't you?" He finally asked.

"What does that mean?"

"Everything. When I wouldn't go to rehab, you were surprised. When I seeing Torrie, you were surprised. When I returned to the WWE and was clean, you were surprised." He put the cold beer to his lips and took a sip. "You're always surprised."

Ariel was at a loss for words. She knew where Jeff was going was his talk and she hoped he wouldn't "go there." "I guess."

Jeff shrugged nonchalantly as he circled the bottleneck of his Heineken with his thumb. "I guess, Ari. I guess." He stood up and straightened out his jeans. "I'm heading off to bed now. 'Night." He stretched out and began to walk away.

Ariel watched Jeff walk away from her and into the guest bedroom. She finished her beer and cleaned up the empty beer bottles. She stood at the kitchen counter and looked around. _What am I doing?_ Ariel dropped her kitchen towel and headed upstairs. She walked into Jeff's room and found it empty. She then heard the faint off-key singing and the shower running from the nearby bathroom.

Ariel walked over to the hall closet and grabbed a big towel. She then opened the bathroom door and let herself inside. Jeff pulled back the curtain and glanced at her.

"I thought you needed a towel?" Ariel whispered.

Without hesitation, Jeff grabbed Ariel's hand and pulled her close to him. He was dripping water all over her as their bodies pressed together. Still full dressed, Ariel stepped inside the shower and wrapped her arms around Jeff's neck. "I miss you, Jeffy."

Jeff wasted no time planting kisses all over Ariel's face and neck, reminding her of the heat they shared. "I miss you, Ari."

--------------------------------------------------

"Thank you for coming, Rae." Elani spoke. "I really appreciated it."

"You're welcome." Rae knew she shouldn't press for details but curiosity got the best of her. "Why did you invite me?"

"What do you did to my dad was fucked up, Rachel. Sometimes I think my dad got exactly what he deserved after what he did to my mom. Sometimes I think my dad fell in love with the wrong person as he usually does. But I know how my dad feels about you. He can deny it all he wants but I know how he feels." Elani said. "It'll be a while before I can forgive you. But I'm willing to try."

Rae was touched by Elani's honesty. She thought for sure the invitation to the party was a cruel joke. "Thank you, Elani. It means a lot to me." Rae replied.

"You're welcome. Now excuse me, there's a hot guy who's waiting for me to kiss him." Elani walked away. She was then stopped by her father.

"He puts his lips on you and I'll rip them off." Dave smiled.

Elani rolled her eyes and shook her head. "You're so not cool."

"I know. Have fun, Elani." Dave smiled again.

"Mmm hmm…" She then rejoined her guests outside.

"You're such a nerd." Rae provided her color commentary to the action.

"What?" Dave shrugged. "I don't want my daughter being smooched on by some punk-ass kid."

"Or in other words, someone like you?" Rae smiled.

"You're not funny, Rae."

"I'm not joking, David."

Dave plopped beside Rae on the eggplant sofa and sighed. "I miss this, Rachel." He commented.

"Miss what?"

"This." Dave motioned with his hands. "I miss our friendship. I miss the way we would play with each other and joke like this. I miss our friendship."

"We're still friends, David." _Barely._

"Yeah, but you know it's different between us now." Dave placed his left hand on Rae's right, giving it a gentle squeeze. "I miss this. I miss us."

Rae looked down at Dave's hand on top of hers. A surge of emotions rushed throughout her body as she closed her eyes to calm herself. "David…."

Dave quickly removed his hand. "I'm sorry. I overstepped my boundaries."

Rae opened her eyes and looked over at her ex-boyfriend. "Maybe I want you to." She whispered.

Dave and Rae leaned in closer to each other. Their lips were almost touching and their breathing became slightly erratic. However, any rekindling kisses were going have to wait for another day.

"I hear someone's turning 17!" Randy shouted as he entered the home.


	13. Cheap Shots

Rae quickly stood up and straightened out her shirt. She didn't once think Randy knew about the party or show up if he had known. She walked quickly to Randy, who greeted with a big hug. "Randy! What are you doing here?" Rae nervously smiled.

"Well, I came here to show my support for the youngin'." Randy mischievously smiled. He saw Elani's invite to Rae a few days ago when she left her bag open. Randy quickly skimmed through the invite and made it a personal calendar entry in his brain.

He didn't think he was keeping tabs on Rae—even though that was exactly what he was doing. "And to get some free food, of course." He walked into the living room and noticed a very frustrated Dave. "Dave."

"Randy." Dave greeted. "Elani is outside if you want to say hi to her."

"I think I will." Randy grabbed Rae's hand and led them both outside to the patio. Rae turned back to Dave and appeared she wanted him to stop Randy. Dave, however, let Randy lead her outside.

He grinned as he licked his lips and thought aloud to himself. "The harder you try, Orton, the more she'll resist you."

------------------------------------------------------

"What just happened here?"

"I fucked your brains out."

Jeff and Ariel laid in a delicious heap on the hallway floor between the bathroom and the guest bedroom. Ariel's soaked clothing was in a nearby pile on the bathroom floor. Once Ariel surprised Jeff in the shower, there was no time for whispered sweet nothings or long drawn-out sessions. The sex was hard, fierce and animalistic. Holding her legs up while he feasted on her, Jeff only gave Ariel a rest between positions.

Meanwhile, Ariel never screamed so hard in her life. From the hair-pulling to the skin-biting to the all-out screaming, Jeff and Ariel remembered why they were connected to each other—and why they were dangerous together.

Curling up against her former lover, Ariel placed small kisses on Jeff's neck as she breathed in his musky scent. "What are we?"

"I don't know, you tell me." Jeff answered. He would be the last to admit he wanted a second-go with his ex, even though it was what he wanted. "You're still with Dave."

"No, I'm not."

"Does he know that?"

If there was one person who knew how to push Ariel's buttons, it was without a shadow of a doubt, Jeff Hardy. Without saying more than a few words, Jeff was questioning Ariel's loyalty to Dave—a sure sign he was going to question hers to him. _I don't even believe this shit. _

Ariel slowly rose from Jeff's arms and walked to the bathroom to retrieve her soaked clothing. She then stepped over Jeff and proceeded to her bedroom. "You can finish your shower now."

"I asked a simple question, Ari." Jeff said quietly.

"No, you were fuckin' rude and insulting, Jeffrey." Ariel shouted. "I just told you I wasn't with Dave anymore."

Jeff got up and stared down his ex. What turned to be a beautiful evening of rekindling flames and revisiting past emotions turned quite fucked up in a matter of seconds. "Yeah, after we had sex."

"Are you still with Whorrie?" Ariel retorted. 

"Nice way of showing your maturity there, Ariel." He replied. "I was never with Torrie and even she knew that."

"Now was this before or after you brought the whore to Cameron?"

Jeff smiled. Whenever Ariel pissed him off something greatly, his only defensive mechanism was smiling. Ariel could never tell if he was mocking her or if he was using the smile as a cover for something more explosive. "I wouldn't be talking about what "whores" I bring to my house if I were you, Ms. Lee."

-----------------------------------------------------------

"Where's Dave?" Tracy asked Rae.

"I think he's inside pouting." Rae replied. Ever since Randy's surprise visit a few hours ago, Dave kept his distance from his ex-girlfriend. "I think I pissed him off."

"Dave's always a pissed-off bitch." Tracy huffed. "He'll pout and mop but he'll get over it."

"I hope so." Rae slightly frowned. Just as it appeared that she and Dave was going to have a new start, things did not go that way at all. "I just hope he's not mad at me."

"I know David pretty well. He doesn't have time to get mad at anyone." Tracy then saw Dave step out onto the patio. "Speaking of which…."

Dave walked over to his exes and smiled. "Ladies."

"David." Both women said together.

"Everything fine?" Tracy asked.

"Everything's great."

Rae stood up and spoke to Dave. "You're not mad at me?"

Dave shook his head and smiled. "I figured since you brought a guest, I should have one, too." He then looked behind and motioned for his guest to join him. "Out here, honey."

Rae's and Tracy's mouths dropped upon seeing Dave's special guest. Tracy knew exactly why Dave invited the particular person and it had nothing to do with feeling lonely or wanting company. He was getting back at Rae and he succeeded.

Tracy looked up at her ex-husband and used every restraint in her body to not slap him. "Oh, I'm so getting more alimony from you." She sneered.

Rae shook her head and lit up another cigarette. Tracy was dead-on with her observations of Dave's true intentions. _Of course, he would invite her. Why wouldn't he?_

Dave's special guest to his daughter's birthday was none other than Former Playboy Playmate Rebecca DiPietro.


	14. Don't Ever Talk About A Woman's Hair

_Author's Note: This chapter contains adult situations. (No, not strong sexual content). _

_--------------------------------_

"That's it, Flower." Randy murmured as he moved Rae's waist on his shaft. "Easy, Baby."

Rae sped up her pace as she began to ride Randy faster. She leaned forward and held his shoulders down while she continued to ride him. She moaned loudly, almost to the brink of screaming. Exploding into a profanity-laced orgasm, Rae collapsed on top of Randy. "Why does your cock have to be so big?" She moaned.

"Because it just is. I'm an Orton, we're hung like horses."

"Should I start calling you, 'Cowboy?'"

"You're fired, Flower."

Exhausted and sweaty from yet another mind-blowing sex session, Rae and Randy laid in each other's arms staring up at the ceiling. She thought she would be used to Randy's size after sleeping with him on and off for two years. Yet, just as she thought she grew accustomed to him, Randy always surprised her by trying a new position that guaranteed to make her hit high notes that made Mariah Carey falter.

Hastily exiting Elani's birthday party, Rae and Randy went straight to her apartment and made love all night. But Rae knew—just as much Randy did—all of the sex in the world was not going to fuck Dave out of her mind. "Thanks for coming over tonight." She said breathlessly. "I really appreciate it."

"Not a prob, Flower." Randy grinned. "Anytime, baby. Anytime." He then turned towards her and caressed her face. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired. I need to go to sleep."

"No. In here." Randy pointed at her chest. "How do you feel in here?"

Rae slightly shrugged. She wasn't sure how she was feeling to be perfectly honest. A part of her hated Dave even more. A part of her loved him just as bad. "It is what it is. He made a choice and that's that."

"You don't have deal with his bullshit anymore, baby." Randy said. "That asshole has proved how much he doesn't care about you time and time again."

"I know." Rae said. She knew Randy was right with his thoughts on Dave. She just hoped he was slightly wrong. "It's just going to take me some time, Thumper."

Randy softly kissed Rae's lips and grinned at her. "You know I'm here if you need me."

"I know, Thumper." She replied. _But I want Dave here._

---------------------------------------------

Jeff thought he would be used to throngs of screaming fans by now. He thought he would be used to girls crying in front of him and guys dressed up like him. Truth was, Jeff still didn't get what the big deal was. To him, he was just a regular ordinary guy from a small town that made it big. Now he was a hero to children. _Weird, _Jeff thought, _cool but weird._

Ariel accompanied Jeff to his signing, though she wasn't sure if that was a good idea. Since their blow-up from the previous night, Jeff and Ariel remained cordial towards each other and keeping small talk just that.

Ariel watched Jeff from afar, making sure everything was going smoothly and in place. When she saw Jeff signing a little girl's tee shirt, her heart warmed. She and Jeff decided to have three children whenever they got married. He wanted to name a girl, Heaven, while she wanted to name a boy, Nero, after Jeff's middle name. The third child would be a joint decision between the two of them.

That talk was only a few months ago when they were in the process of reconciling. _Yep, those days are over. _

After the signing, security rushed Jeff and Ariel inside the awaiting limo where they took off back to her apartment. Again, the deafening silence shook Ariel to her core. "Are you going to at least humor me?" She asked.

"Knock, knock." Jeff began. He looked over to Ariel, who was surprised. "I said, knock, knock."

Ariel rolled her eyes. She felt stupid for not realizing Jeff would take her words literally. "Who's there?"

"Matt."

"Matt who?"

"That's what a lot fans say whenever they see him stand next to me." Jeff smiled.

Ariel smiled. Jeff had a quirky sense of humor. Either one thought he was brilliant or crazy. Sometimes he was both. Jeff was often underestimated but it never bothered him. He loved shocking people and seeing how stupid they felt once they realized how smart he truly was. Jeff was country, no doubt; but he was not stupid.

"Thank you. I needed that." Ariel smiled.

Jeff winked at her and then looked down at his chipped black nail polish. "Um, about the other night…"

"Forget it, Jeffy. It never happened."

"No, it did happened and we need to talk about it." He sighed. "I'm sorry for what I said."

"I'm sorry for how I acted." Ariel replied.

Jeff waited a few moments before he spoke again. "So why does it feel shit didn't get resolved just now?"

"Jeff, I'm confused, alright?" Ariel confessed. "I don't know what I want."

"You don't know what you want or you don't know _who_ you want?"

Ariel shook her head. "I don't know."

Jeff pulled Ariel's gaze to his. "But you want me to get it for you?"

"Jeffy…"

"Ariel, I'm not forcing you to make a decision. You're a grown woman. But before you decide, you might want to ask Dave how he feels about you."

"What does that mean?"

Jeff grinned as he remembered catching Rebecca and Dave backstage. They were locked in a passionate kiss before they sneaked off to a janitor's closet for more intimacy. "You just might want to ask him for clarity."

------------------------------------------------------

"Can we talk for a minute?"

Rae was hoping there was a slight chance she wouldn't have to run into Dave at the Supershow. Ever since Elani's birthday party a few days ago, Rae kept her distance from Dave as much as she could. She didn't even blink at him when he was standing next to her ten minutes prior. Now he was in her face yet again. _Ooh, I should set you on fire tonight. _

"What is it, David?" Rae said as she studied a layout. "I'm busy here."

Dave pulled up a chair and sat next to his former lover. "I wanted to talk about what happened the other night."

"What happened was that you thought it was cute to bring over Ms. Funky Nipples to your daughter's birthday." Rae said, not removing her stare from the laptop screen. "There. We're done. You should go stretch."

"Getting in your cheap shots isn't helping anything, Rachel. You were the one that brought over the junkie." Dave replied.

"First off, I didn't bring Randy, he showed up on his own. I didn't invite him. Second, I wouldn't be talking about anyone being a junkie because I'm pretty damn sure your body is totally natural, right?" Rae snapped.

"Yes, my body is natural as that horsehair on your head." Dave replied.

Rae stood up from her chair. "Oh, that's it." She took off her dangling earrings and kicked off her sneakers. "Come on, let's go."

Dave sat back in his chair. "What are you doing?"

"You're going to talk like a punk," Rae got into a fighting stance. "I'm going to fight you like one."

Dave dismissed Rae's behavior. "Beautiful, sit your ass down."

Rae stood in front of Dave and landed a hard slap across his cheek. "I said let's go, asshole!"

Dave rubbed his face and looked up at Rae. "Did you just slap me?"

"And I'm about slap your dumb-ass again!" Rae said as she swung a hand towards him.


	15. It's About To Go Down

Dave caught Rae's wrist and held it. He stared into her eyes and waited for her to calm down. Just a few months ago, they were passionately in love with each other. Now, they could barely stand the sight of one another. "Beautiful…" He spoke calmly. "Stop it."

Rae tried in vain to wrestle her wrist away from her former lover. "Let go of me." She sneered.

"Are you going to hit me again?"

"Yes."

Dave grinned. "I appreciate your honesty."

Rae was seething. She wanted nothing more to kick Dave's ass from here to Kentucky. From openly dating Ariel to flaunting Rebecca around like she was his latest toy, Dave was laughing in Rae's face. "What do you want from me?"

Dave kept his grip on Rae's wrist. "I want my best friend back."

"You're too damn late."

"Why are you fighting me, Rachel?"

"You just called my very expensive weave, horsehair, David." Rae yelled. "Get a fuckin' clue."

"No, forget that." Dave shook his head. "Why are you fighting me?"

Rae wrestled her wrist from Dave's grip, who let go without a fight. Dave's grip was so tight, Rae found herself grabbing her wrist. "Because you keep giving me a reason to."

----------------------------------------

Ariel sat in on the weekly creative meetings but it was clear her mind was not there. Upon Jeff's leave for the road, once again there was no resolution between the former lovers. Despite what occurred in New York, things were status quo between Ariel and Jeff. Things weren't better but they weren't worse. It was as if the lovemaking never occurred.

And Ariel had a problem with that. Jeff may not had a problem with straddling the fence but Ariel sure did. But any times for confrontation had to wait once she saw another man that was confusing the hell out of her.

"Ari." Dave smiled.

"Dave." She smiled back. She was genuinely happy to see him. Despite what was going on behind each other's back, they were still pleasant towards each other. "How's it going, champ?"

Dave let out a quiet sigh. He was Champ, alright. Champ of the Chumps. He still couldn't shake the feeling something went terribly awry with his conversation with Rae. "Things could be better, but what can you do?"

_You're preaching to the choir, Dave. _"I know that feeling." Ariel shrugged. "Say, do you have a minute? I would like to talk to you about something…"

---------------------------------------------------------

"How in the hell are you injured?" Jeff joked with Rae as he got a massage.

Rae grimaced as she let the trainer tape up her wrist. "I'm not even about to go there."

Jeff turned his head towards Rae and gave her his charming Southern grin. "How are thing between you and 'Tista?"

"I hate him." Rae huffed.

"Just as much I hate Ariel?" Jeff chuckled.

"Are you trying to be funny, Hardy?"

"I'm a comical genius." Jeff winked.

Rae shook her head. "I think he wants to hurt me, Jeffy. I honestly think he wants to hurt me. He's still mad at me for what I did and I…I don't know what I can do."

"Don't fight it." Jeff quickly replied.

Rae had a stunned look on her face. "Are you and Dave talking to each other through telepathy?"

Jeff shook his head. "Don't fight it. Just let it happen."

"Let what happen?"

The therapist instructed Jeff to turn on his side. Jeff smiled at Rae. "Your love for each other. It's obvious as my hair color he's still in love with you."

"Yeah?" Rae didn't buy Jeff's Dr. Phil moment for one second. "And how would you know this?"

Jeff smiled as he briefly remembered walking past the Divas locker room. He overheard Rebecca confiding to Brooke and Kelly Kelly regarding her last night with Dave. After a passionate, no-holds-barred sex session, Dave and Rebecca fell asleep in each other's arms. However, Rebecca woke up to hear Dave talking in his sleep.

"_He whispered Rachel, Brooke. He whispered out her name!" Rebecca frowned. _

"_Maybe he was having a nightmare?" Brooke suggested. _

"_Maybe he was having a flashback?" Kelly Kelly chimed in. _

_Or maybe he's not in love with you, dim-wit. _Jeff thought. He then shook his head of the memory and smiled again at Rae. "Let's just say I know a lot of things."

----------------------------------------------

Upon his arrival to the Raw taping, Randy went to the trainers to get taped up for his match. He was a little surprised to see Rae sitting on the table getting bandaged up. She was slightly wincing with every movement.

"Just take it easy, Rae." The trainer instructed her. "You're just a little sore, but you'll be fine today."

"Flower?" Randy said as he walked towards his best friend. "What's wrong with your wrist?" Randy asked.

"Nothing." Rae shook her head. The last thing she needed was Randy making a big deal out of nothing. "I'm fine."

Randy became more concerned. It wasn't usual for Rae to get injuries at work and the fact she was being secretive about this particular one made him all the more suspicious. "What happened?"

Rae shook her head and relented. Little did she know what she was about to say have a disastrous effect backstage. "I got into an argument with Dave and—"

Before Rae could finish her sentence, Randy stormed off looking for Dave.


	16. The Truth

Ariel Lee had been in many uncomfortable situations during her time. Very rarely did she lose her cool or her composure. Part of it was the thick skin she wore with pride. She was a woman in a man's world of sports entertainment. She knew every decision she made was going to be met with snickering and second-guessing on her part. But she also knew that whatever senior-level position she had, it would be like that in any company.

But nothing prepared Ariel for the WWE and the internet fans. She's been called a whore, an ugly bitch, and those were just the nice words. She also received her share of death threats. Her personal choices had no bearing on her professional life but not many saw it in that manner. She was just another woman making decisions in a man's company, who thought with her heart instead of her mind. _And I'm the unstable one here? _

Yet, the one person who has been her biggest support was also her biggest enigma. Dave Bautista. He was undeniably charming but he was also incredibly secretive. He was ridiculously seductive but quiet and reserved. Now Ariel had to play the role of the bitch and break up with him. _Oh, this is going to be fun. _

"So what is that you wanted to talk about?" Dave asked.

"Us." Ariel slightly shrugged as he leaned against a wall. "Where do we stand?"

"Well, you tell me." Dave replied back. "Your guess is as good as mine."

Ariel let out an uncomfortable smile and chuckle. "Dave, you're a great guy and all, but I think we're better off as friends."

"Okay."

"I mean, you're a wonderful guy and I think you have the opportunity to make any girl happy but I only see us as friends."

"Okay."

"I just didn't think we had a future and…" Ariel was silenced by Dave's soft lips on hers.

Dave smiled at Ariel. "It's okay, Ariel. If we can still be friends, I'm game if you are."

Ariel opened her eyes and smiled. "Deal."

Dave smiled back at her. "Deal."

Meanwhile, Randy turned the corner and saw Ariel and Dave conversing with each other. Seeing Dave did more than just light a fire under Randy's ass, he was livid. He immediately charged after him, slamming Dave's body into the lockers. Dave retaliated by spearing Randy across the room. Randy landed several hard punches to Dave's back. He then kneed him in his stomach and Dave fell to the floor. Meanwhile, Ariel watched in horror as the fight continued.

"RANDY ORTON, STOP!" Ariel yelled. "One more hit and you'll be fined!"

"Start a damn tab." Randy said as he kicked Dave's stomach. "I'm about to destroy this asshole."

"Randy, one more punch and you'll be fired!" Ariel warned.

Randy stood over Dave and stared at Ariel. "Do it." He whispered.

---------------------------------------------------

Rae got off the training table and walked over to Jeff. "Thanks for the talk, Jeffy."

"Hey, come here." Jeff grabbed Rae's free arm and pulled her close. "You're a great girl, Rachel. You deserve to be happy and I want to see you win." He smiled at her. "Just think about everything I told you, okay?"

"Okay." Rae smiled back.

A sudden crowd rushed past the training room. Jeff and Rae turned to see what the commotion was about. "What's going on?"

"I don't know." Jeff hopped down from the training table.

Rae and Jeff rushed through the large crowd and saw several wrestlers pulling Randy and Dave apart from each other. Both men were cursing loudly at each other and it appeared there wasn't enough bodies to separate the men.

"You had no business putting your hands on her!" Randy yelled.

"I never laid my hands on her!" Dave defended.

Randy saw Rae from the corner of his eye. "Rae, did Dave cause your injury?"

"What? What's going on?" Rae asked. "What's going on?"

"I just whipped that motherfucker's old ass because he laid his hands on you! The gorilla-looking bastard is lucky I didn't kill his injury-proned ass." Randy spat at Dave. "I'm going to fucking kill you."

"I like to see your pussy-ass try." Dave taunted.

Word of a potential altercation spread and soon Vince was making an appearance. "What do we have here?" He asked.

"Not a damn thing." Randy said as Dave kept quiet.

"It appears to be a damn thing occurring." Vince said. "Gentlemen, can I see you both for a minute…now?"

Randy and Dave followed Vince to a private area for the arena. They both stood as far away from each other as possible. The tension was growing thick between the men at break-neck rate and it was only a matter of time before it exploded.

"What happened here before I fire you both?" Vince asked with a smile.

"That asshole caused Rae's injury!" Randy pointed to Dave. "Yeah, motherfucker, you caused her wrist to get taped up, don't even try to deny that shit."

Vince turned towards Dave. "Is that true, David? Did you cause Rae's injury?"

"It was an accident, Vince." Dave defended. "It was merely an accident."

Vince nodded in agreement. "Well, since there is a disagreement of sorts, let's see what Rae has to say about this." He walked over to the corridor and beckoned for Rae. "I need your input on this disagreement."

Rae nervously grabbed her wrist, since it was still sore. "Yes?"

"How was your injury caused?" Vince asked.

Rae looked at Vince and then glanced at both Randy and Dave. If she told the truth, Randy would be fined for fighting, despite he was defending her honor. However, if she lied, Dave could be suspended. And right about now, the latter was sounding like a good option since Elani's birthday party.

With a heavy heart, Rae made her choice. "Well, this is what happened, Vince…"


	17. What Goes Around Comes Around

_Author's Note: Sorry for the delay but my muses weren't cooperating with me. This chapter takes bits and pieces out of Choices so it'll sound pretty familiar. To my Jeff/Ariel fans, they're in the next chapter. Once again, thank you for the undying support!_

_----------------------------------------------------------------_

Rae was feeling guilty. No, guilty wasn't the word. She was actually tormented. Her stomach was in knots and it briefly took her mind off the annoying pain in her wrist. As she wrapped her summer sweater tightly around her body, she quickly walked down the corridor to the trainer's room. Passing several Superstars and Divas, she could've sworn she heard whispering and finger pointing. Her reputation quickly went from being a professional graphic designer to a whore who only told the truth when she wasn't trying to cover her own ass. Backstage relationships were common and quickly soured when things didn't go right. Yet, Rae felt her relationships with Randy and Dave were not the typical flings. Unfortunately for her, they now were.

She did the right thing by telling the truth but now she wished she had lied. But racking her conscience had to wait until after the show. A broken heart did not matter to Vince as long as his show went on. Taking a spot on the training table, she glanced down at the floor as Randy got taped for his match. He was defending her honor—something that wasn't lost on Rae's feelings. But his machismo had great consequences and a fine was only just the beginning. "How are you feeling?" Rae softly asked.

"Fine. I'm not worried about me, though." Randy glanced over at his sometime girlfriend. Whatever bullshit was going on between him and Dave was starting to affect Rae's concentration at work and that bothered Randy the most. "How are you feeling?"

Rae gave a defeated shrug. She let her insecurities and emotions get the best of her yet again. She seemingly lost everything by following her heart's desires instead of listening to her head. She gave up a fulfilling relationship to pursue one that had no guarantee. She silently accused Dave of never supporting her, when he was in fact, her biggest cheerleader. But worse of all, she lied to him. She kept telling him she loved him when she knew she didn't. She led him to believe things were working out, despite having secret feelings for Randy.

And though he never said it, Rae knew Dave hated her. "Stupid." She solemnly replied.

Randy laced up his boots and patted his girlfriend's shoulder. He knew she was trying to contain her composure by putting on a brave front but Rae was transparent. Whenever she was uncomfortable, she gave a nervous laugh. If she was truly upset, she quickly changed the subject. But if she was heartbroken, there was nothing to be done and Randy knew exactly where her heart was at the moment. "It's not the end of the world, you know?"

"It feels like it." Rae hastily wiped her nose, "it just feels like everything is coming down all at once."

"Why? Flower, you still have a job and great friends," he assured her, "most importantly, I'm not in trouble." He grinned.

Rae gave her infamous nervous chuckle. Randy had been fined and suspended so many times, even he lost track. "No, but he's not."

"I'm not sure about that one, Rae," Randy chuckled, "I think Dave's punishment is worse."

Rae gave a half-hearted grin at Randy's off-color remark. After her private explanation to Vince about what really happened, Randy was given a small fine for fighting. Vince understood his actions but still had to give him a punishment just so Randy and any other wrestler would understood fighting was not the way to solve problems. Dave, on the other hand, was not fined. However, the locker room population considered his punishment worse. Dave had to job to Mark Henry for their next few bouts. Mark was known to be careless in the ring and was suspected to be the culprit of Dave's tricep injury.

"I guess so." Rae sniffled. Taking another moment to wipe her eyes, Rae glanced down at her watch. She needed to go out to the stage area to make sure everything was set up. "I need to be going now. Um, Randy?"

"Yeah, baby?"

She wrapped her arms around his body and pressed him close to hers. "Thank you for everything."

Randy grinned. "You're welcome." He then got up and headed towards the locker room. Upon entering the locker room, Randy saw Dave going through his travel bag. Randy didn't waste any time confronting him. "What you did to Rae was beyond fucked up, Dave."

Dave closed his eyes and wondered what drug was Randy on at the moment to even think confronting him was even a slightly smart idea. Dave let out a deep breath and continued to look through his items. "Good Evening, Orton."

"Don't be polite to me, motherfucker." He pressed. "You need to leave Rae the hell alone."

Dave sighed as he found his water bottle and took a quick swig from it. He quickly processed how money he would lose if he should knock Randy on his ass. "You need, for once, to mind your own goddamn business," he responded quietly.

"Rae is my business." Randy countered, walking closer to Dave as various Superstars were on guard to break up a fight. "And I'm telling you to leave her alone."

"And what you're going to do if I don't?" Dave said, his voice quiet and steady. "Wow, you Ortons were definitely not known for your thinking."

"That's real funny, motherfucker. You know what?" Randy smirked and threw his hands in the air. "I don't know why I even bother arguing with you. Rae doesn't deserve you anyways."

Dave took a sip from his water bottle. "I guess the same can be said to you, chump."

Randy dropped his bag and rushed over to Dave. John, Hunter, and Ric Flair stood between the men. "What did you say to me?"

Dave smiled. "I thought I called your bitch-ass a chump."

Word of a potential altercation spread and soon Vince was making another appearance. If he was trying to put on a good show for the fans, Randy and Dave were trying heaven and hell to make sure that didn't happen with their immature behavior. "What do we have here?" He asked.

"Not a damn thing." Randy said as Dave kept quiet.

"It appears to be another damn thing occurring." Vince said. He was growing increasingly infuriated with Randy and Dave was a close second. "Gentlemen, can I see you both for a minute…now?"

Randy and Dave followed Vince to a private area for the arena. They both stood as far away from each other as possible. The tension was growing thick between the men at break-neck rate and it was only a matter of time before it exploded.

Vince looked up at the ceiling as he collected his thoughts. He could easily suspend both Superstars or have them job on the show that evening. But Vince knew whatever problems the men had were not going to be settled in just one night. Plus, the executive in Vince wanted to milk the situation for what it was worth. "Since there is a disagreement of sorts, let's think of the best feasible way to handle this. Obviously, you two want to kill each other and I'm going to let you—in the ring. Since Survivor Series is coming up, it only makes sense that you two settle your differences there. We'll make a match and you two can sort out the details later. Deal?"

Randy and Dave nodded. "Deal."

"Good." Vince grinned. "Now for the time being, you two will stay as far away from each other as possible."

After Vince left, Dave approached Randy. "Now, now, David…" Randy began.

"I'm not going to satisfy your ego, bitch. I'm not stupid. I know what's going to happen at Survivor Series," Dave referred to Randy's win streak at Survivor Series, "but you listen to me and listen real good. Just because you're going to win, doesn't mean you're going to walk. I have every intention of keeping my promise to you."

Randy tried not to show any fear in his eyes as he recounted Dave's "promise" in his hotel room a few months ago. _"Let me make it crystal clear right now, Randy." Dave said as he gathered his belongings. "Just because I'm not kicking your ass right now doesn't mean I won't do it. If I hear an inkling of you and my girlfriend ever again, what I did to Kennedy last week won't be anything in comparison to what I'll do to you. And I don't give a damn if we're in a ring or not. Am I clear?"_

During his match with Kennedy, Dave repeatedly hit him with a chair. The blows were so hard, Kennedy's blood splattered on Dave. While a lot of fans were impressed with the new aggressive style Dave was exhibiting, Rae knew it was practice for Randy.

Randy gulped as he only imagined what Dave was referring to. "So I'll see you later, right?"


	18. Battling

_Author's Note: Well, the end is almost near. I would say how many chapters are left but honestly, I don't know. This chapter once again borrows scenes from Choices. It was also partially co-written by the Queen of Kaos._

_Thank you once again for all of your support!_

_--------------------------------------------------------_

When the circus otherwise known as WWE backstage was calm, Ariel escaped to her favorite quiet place—a stairwell located in the back of the arena. When she and Jeff dated, they would find a hidden area and have a few moments of quiet. On more than one occasion, they took advantage of the quiet place and had unbridled sex. _Yep, those days are gone. _

"You look deep in thought," a voice interrupted Ariel's thoughts.

She turned to the familiar voice and smiled. _Of course he would find me. _She walked over and sat beside her ex-boyfriend, who was strumming his guitar. He was in his standard white tank top and low-slung jeans. His multi-colored hair lightly bounced against his cheeks as he played a Jeff Hardy original. To anyone, it would be ear-bleeding noise. But with Ariel, it was always beautiful music. "I'm always deep in thought, Jeffy."

Jeff continued to play with his guitar. He never had a set song in mind nor did he try to learn any. He just loved to play his guitar and whatever song came out of his creativity, he was happy with. "What's on your mind?"

_What's not on my mind? _ "It's been an interesting few months." Ariel began.

"You can say that. " Jeff quietly responded. "I guess we found out a lot about each other."

"I guess we did." Ariel admitted. She and Jeff were in a compromising position that most exes find themselves in. They weren't friends, but they were on friendly terms. They didn't hate each other, but wouldn't really spend time together. They had civil and amicable conversations but they were few and far in between. Now reconciliation was on the horizon and neither was sure if it was what they both wanted. "So where do we go from here?"

"I'm not sure, Ari." Jeff kept strumming his guitar. He was more concerned with finding G sharp than dealing with his conflicting emotions with his ex. "You tell me."

Ariel was never good with expressing her emotions. It wasn't that she hated but rather it show her weakness, something she was determined no one would see. "I never stopped having feelings for you, Jeffy."

Satisfied with finding B flat instead of G sharp, Jeff continued to play. "I know," he whispered.

A few seconds passed before Ariel released what happened. It was either Jeff didn't care or he was struggling with his own emotions. Whatever it was, the pregnant pause had to end. "And?"

"You can have feelings for another person until the cows come home," he replied, "but it doesn't mean shit if you still have to figure out who you are."

Ariel glanced down at her feet and quietly stood up. "Thank you for shooting me down once again, Jeff." She then began to walk away.

"You're good at that, you know?" Jeff said.

Ariel turned around. If Jeff wasn't annoying her with his constant in-depth thoughts at absolutely nothing, he was getting her with his cryptic questions. "Good at what?" She asked exhaustedly.

Jeff got up and carried his guitar. He walked up to his ex and caressed her face. Jeff's touch brought chills to her spine and emotions to the pit of her stomach. "Running away."

---------------------------------------------------------------------

_Okay, I can do this. I don't need any more distractions or bullshit for the rest of the day. _

Hiding in the sound booth, Rae loved how her work was a great distraction. It was bad enough her business was the talk of the backstage area; she didn't need it to be the focus of her work. Quickly going over the show agenda for the night, Rae briefly met with her assistant to finalize everyone's entrances. A short knock on the door interrupted the ladies and Rae soon regretted the decision to open the door. "Oh shit," she grinned upon seeing her guest, "I guess today is my lucky fucking day."

Ariel was revved up from her conversation with Jeff. If she felt low, she needed to bring someone down with her. And who better to spot than her arch nemesis. "It never ceases to amaze me how you manage to fuck up all the time," Ariel smiled, "you are so lucky that I don't fire you." She glanced over to Rae's assistant to quickly left the booth and shut the door behind her.

Rae knew she hexed herself earlier. Now she was dealing with someone she wouldn't buy life if she was dying. "I wish you would fire me! On what grounds?" Rae didn't bother giving Ariel any attention. She never liked her and now she had a reason. "That I don't bow down to the bitch known as Ariel Lee."

"What did you say?"

"Did I stutter?" Rae finally shifted her focus from her work to her one-time supervisor. Now was not the time or the place for Rae to deal with anyone's bullshit, especially someone she never liked to begin with. "What is it, Ariel?

"You're lucky the only punishment Dave got was jobbing to Mark because had he gotten something worse, that would have been it." She shook her head and licked her lips. "You are something else, you know that? You put on the biggest pity party on Earth and all these tramps and assholes buy into your shit. But let's face it Rachel, you're pathetic. It doesn't surprise me your purposely fucked up your relationship with Dave. You couldn't handle being with a real man so you had to run to your little boy Orton. But then again, misery loves company."

Rae stood up and began clapping. "That's a nice speech there, Ariel. You almost had me going that you had balls. I guess having a college degree doesn't mean shit if you don't know how to use it. Oh, wait, you know what to do with your degree. You know how make Batista teddy bears with matching stick-on dragon tattoos!"

When Ariel was about to interrupt, Rae hastily cut her off. "I watch you running around, pretending to be a bad ass. Yeah, you're a badass whore. I guess if I fucked half the locker room, I would be considered a bad ass, too. You're from New York fuckin' City, whopp dee fucking do. Bitch, I'm from Watts!" Rae spat. "You're like those fucking teddy bears," she referred back to her most-hated piece of merchandise. "Sure, you can put a sneer on their faces, maybe print a tattoo on their backs. But they're still fucking teddy bears, Ariel.

"You can spit and laugh in my face if it makes you feel better. You can call me a whore all you want. As a matter of fact, I'll help you pick out different names for me, if you want. But you will never, ever, question the love I had for Dave ever fucking again."

Ariel stood up from her chair and crossed her arms. She admired Rae's bravery for being so bold but she also questioned her stupidity at the same time. Still, she loved a good fight and if it meant Rae lost her job, so be it. "Or, you'll do what?" Ariel challenged.

Rae stared down at her nemesis. One punch would send Ariel's ass flying across the room. One punch also meant a nice severance package for Rae and given the circumstances, she wasn't sure which option would be more fulfilling. "Bitch, do not even fuckin' tempt me on this one."

"Rachel," Vince entered the sound booth just in time to see the stare down, "do you have a minute?"

"Sure. Come on in, Vince," Rae proudly smiled at Ariel, "Ms. Lee was just leaving."

Ariel walked out of the sound booth and Vince closed the door behind her. "You're quite the troublemaker around here, Ms. Schaffer."

Rae shook her head in embarrassment. "I'm trying not to, believe me."

"I realize that," Vince briefly paused before continuing, "But that's not what I'm here for. Are you able to work for the rest of the week or do you need some time off?"

"I'll be fine." Rae assured. "It's just a minor sprain, it'll be okay."

"Good, good to hear. I don't want my favorite graphic designer to be injured on the job." Vince smiled as he got up. "By the way, you remember my suggestion about you becoming a Diva?"

_How could I forget? You practically called me a fat-ass. _"Yes?"

"You have the temperament and tenacity that I like in my Divas."

Rae waited for the insult. Whenever Vince gave a compliment, a backhanded comment was sure to follow. "Yes?"

"I need to find a pretty blonde just like you." Vince smiled. "I'll be in touch, Rachel."

Rae shot a fake smile to her boss as she watched him leave. "I hate this job." She mouthed.

-------------------------------

Bloggers filled their pages with commentary on the match. Wrestling experts, both old and young, had endless debates at every house show and TV taping. And after several months of toying with the buying public, the time had come.

Randy and Dave's Survivor Series match.

Once the much-anticipated match between Randy and Dave was announced, there was a fury of attention drawn to the superstars. The internet was going nuts deciphering the match based on both men's experience, prowess and stamina.

Protecting Rae's interest and her sanity, both men agreed not use her in a storyline. Instead, they decided to use a suitable replacement: Layla, the Diva Search winner and Randy's sometime bed playmate. The storyline was the typical love triangle with both men fighting for Layla's heart.

_Too close for comfort, _Rae quipped.

Since the match was announced, many wondered how Rae was coping. She would be lying if she thought everything was going to play itself out. She knew both Dave and Randy too well to think that it was going to be a clean match. They both hated each other with a fierce intensity and the match was no-holds barred. _I'm going to somebody's funeral soon. _

Right before the match, Rae caught up with Dave as he was doing last minute preparations. He was drinking water and stretching his limbs. "Hey." She said.

Dave briefly turned around. "Hey."

Rae couldn't stop fidgeting. She didn't know if she was more nervous about approaching Dave or about the match itself. She briefly wished she drank some water before approaching him. She must've swallowed ten times as she watch him get ready. "Ready for the match?" She nervously smiled.

Dave nodded as he continued stretching. "Yeah."

"A lot of people are looking forward to this match." Rae commented.

Dave took a swig out of his water bottle. "Yeah, so I've heard."

Rae could no longer control the emotion she was feeling. If she didn't say something, she was going to explode. "Promise me that you won't hurt Randy, Dave." She blurted.

Dave shrugged off his ex-girlfriend's concern. "Rachel, we're professional wrestlers. We're bound to get hurt."

"I don't want Randy to end up like Kennedy." She worried.

"Rachel, you have my word. I'm not going to hurt Randy." Dave shrugged.

Not sure if she really believed what he was saying to her, Rae demurely nodded. "Okay."

Dave took another sip of his water and smiled. "I'm going to destroy the motherfucker."


	19. The Losing Winner

Rae took her usual spot in the sound booth as she watched the various matches of the evening. Randy's and Dave's match was close to the end of the show and Rae never felt sicker to her stomach. She just wanted the match to be over and done with. She wanted all three of them to go on with their lives in peace.

She especially wanted Randy to walk by the end of the match. And there was no guarantee that was going to happen. _Where's the trashcan?_

Just before the match started, promos of the events leading up to the match replayed on the Titantron. It all started with Randy expressing an interest in Layla. When she went to Smackdown! to do some promotional work, Dave squired Layla. A number of events occurred from Randy surprising Dave with a RKO on his date with Layla to Dave sprinkling Randy's underwear with itch powder before his date with Layla. The storyline was the typical love triangle with a wrestling twist and rating went through the roof for both Raw and Smackdown!

Of course, that was a nice consolation prize for the real-life parties of the situation. Rae was notoriously quiet on her feelings about the storyline and no one dared to speak to her about it. The uncomfortable and pain she was feeling was evident on her face. Her eyes were tired; her face was drawn. And worst yet, Rae lost weight because of the stress she was experiencing.

Since Randy was the challenger, his music hit first. The crowd immediately booed Randy. It was clear that he was not the crowd favorite, even though most people expected him to win. He walked to the arena with a smirk and licked his lips. He has been training hard for his match with Dave and he was eager for it to get started.

And to give Dave the beating of his life. _I'm going to fuck that old motherfucker up._

When Dave's music hit, the crowd rose to their feet. The energy was electric and not short of a rock concert. After Dave made his appearance, he walked casually to the ring. He was smiling. A part of it was the persona he was holding for the match. A part of it was retribution for Randy interfering with his relationship. _And that bitch is going to get his ass handed to him._

When both men were in the ring, there was a lot of smack talking between both guys. Rae studied the match religiously and could read what both men were saying.

_I'm going to fuck you up, Orton. _

_I like to see you try, you gimpy-ass motherfucker._

With a hard slap from Randy, the match was on. It was a non-stop match from beginning to end, with both men pulling out their best moves and encounters. Randy got a RKO early but Dave surprised him—and everyone, for the matter—by kicking out.

Soon, the men were out of the ring and through the crowd, slamming each other against the barricades and up the ramp. No surprise that Jim Ross and The King were losing their minds trying to follow the men.

For a good portion of the match, Randy had the advantage by focusing on Dave's left knee, which he made weak by hitting it with a chair. Dave retaliated by giving Randy not one chair shot but several in a row, subsequently opening a gash in Orton's head. He Batista Bombed Randy through the Spanish announcers table and on the steel steps. When Dave was getting ready to clothesline Randy, he caught him by surprise and RKO'd Dave for the pin.

After Randy won the match, the crowd was on their feet. They were cheering and clapping for both men. Randy and Dave could barely move and both were bloodied messes. Emergency workers were en route to the ring as both men breathed hard. As the crowd continued their cheers, Randy spoke to Dave. "Is it over now?" He managed to say.

"You tell me." Dave replied.

Randy rolled onto his back and stared up at the ceiling. "It's over."

"Good." Dave nodded. "I'm getting too old for this shit."

---------------------------------------------------------

After Survivor Series, the wrestlers gathered at a bar to celebrate their matches and enjoy what was left of their weekend. As many of the wrestlers and agents gathered inside, Ariel spent time by herself outside the bar. Jeff put on a great match against Umaga, despite the harsh beating he received. Of course, Ariel was in the Gorilla position, watching every move as if it was her first wrestling match.

Deeply sighing, Ariel looked up at the stars. A slow smile spread across her lips as she thought how proud she was of her ex-boyfriend. Granted things between her and Jeff could have been better and the way the two of them were playing mind games with each other, even they were clueless as to what to expect. _But at least we have memories. _

"You know I remember back in Cameron where we would stay up all night looking at the stars." Jeff's Southern draw whispered against Ariel's ear as he stood next to her. He looked up at the stars and grinned. "We would drink to oblivion and name each star."

Ariel smiled. She barely remembered those nights in question. More than a few times, she and Jeff would have drinking contests while they tried to name stars. The names went from having a spiritual tinge such as Nehemiah, Job, and Abraham to being named after cartoon characters such as Papa Smurf and Rainbow Brite. "My favorite is the star you named My Little Pony." She laughed.

"I had a lot of shit to drink that night." Jeff snarled.

"Apparently," she laughed.

Jeff walked behind Ariel and wrapped his arms around her waist. He softly kissed the nape of her neck as he breathed in his musky scent. She closed her eyes

"Let's dance." He began to sway their bodies.

"There's no music, Jeffy."

"You don't need music to dance, Ari," he said, "we can make our own music."

Ariel followed Jeff's sway and took a deep breath. It was the little things that made her crave his whole being. "You always did things your own way, Nero."

"Um, yeah?" Jeff laughed. "So I'm thinking…"

"Oh Lord, that's never good." Ariel smiled.

Jeff covered Ariel's lips with his fingers as he continued to talk. "Now we're good together, dare I say, we're great together. We have a lot of fun and great sex, right?" He glanced down at her and she nodded in agreement. "So this is what I'm thinking. We should try to have another go at it and see what happens. If it works, it works. If not, well, at least we tried."

Ariel removed Jeff's fingers from her lips. "Are you shitting me, Nero?"

"Yes, I am. I just put on this god-awful music to ask you to be my girlfriend yet again for shits and giggles." He retorted.

Ariel smiled brightly and wrapped her arms around his neck. "What am I going to do with you?"

"I hope you're going to fuck me."

-------------------------------------------

Sitting at a corner booth with the other Divas, Rae was blissfully buzzed on her third glass of champagne. Despite the emotional torture she was experiencing with her feelings, she was having a great time. The Divas kept her occupied and she was doing well. When Dave entered the club with Rebecca on his arm, Rae paid him no attention. He was not going to kill her buzz.

But Dave's and Rebecca's entrance didn't go un-noticed. "I see the someone missed getting on the Hoooooooooo-Train!" Mickie James bristled as the other Divas joined in laughter.

"Be nice, Mickie." Trish warned.

"I'm nice," Mickie shrugged. "I'm not calling her a cock-sucking motherfucking bitch."

Over at the bar, Dave ordered a drink for him and Rebecca. A few wrestlers came up to Dave and congratulated him on his match and he appreciated the acclaim. Even Vince was impressed with the match and hinted at a possible re-match between the two star players. Dave definitely brought his A-game and everyone took notice.

Everyone but Rae. She was noticeably distant and kept far away from Dave as possible. He didn't want to admit it but it was bothering him deeply. Too many nights his thoughts kept him awake on giving her another chance. Too many lost memories plagued his mind when little things conveniently reminded him of her. And as Dave glanced over to see his ex-girlfriend laughing and smiling, he wondered if he made the right decision by finally breaking up with her.

"Why don't you admit that you still want to hit that?" Triple H strolled up to the bar.

"Good evening to you, Paul." Dave chuckled.

"Dude, it's obvious you're still pussy-whipped on her. But you don't have balls to do anything about it." Paul replied before he turned his attention to the bartender. "Yeah, I'll take a beer and my pussy-ass friend here will have his Malibu and soda shit."

Dave rolled his eyes and shook his head. "You know how I feel about Rachel, Paul."

"Yeah, I know and guess what, genius? So does everyone else. You're not that good at promos so what makes you think you're good at hiding your emotions?" Triple H grabbed the drinks and left money on the bar. "I bet even whatsherface knows."

"Rebecca." Dave reminded.

"Yeah, like you remember her name when you're hitting it from the back."

-------------------------------------------------------------------

"Are you ready to go back to the hotel room, baby?" Rebecca asked Dave.

Dave was too busy focusing on Rae's interactions with the other Divas, he almost forgot Rebecca was speaking to him. "Why don't you head back, princess? I'll be there in about an hour. I need to talk to Paul about some other stuff."

She led him to a spot on the dance floor and they immediately wrapped themselves in a strong embrace. They swayed to the music as Rae held onto Dave. Never had she felt so overwhelming emotion as she did when she wrapped her arms around his back.

"Did you like the match?" He asked.

"I loved the match. It's definitely one of my favorites." Rae replied.

"I'm glad you liked it." He whispered back. Now was as good of a time as ever to come clean and Dave was hesistant. He finally admitted to himself that he still cared about his ex-girlfriend.

The song soon switched to Aaliyah's I Miss You. The song immediately flooded Rae's mind with a bittersweet memory.

"_Actually, let's dance."_

"_What? Dance?" _

"_If your big ass can flop around on a cardboard box for a commercial, I'm sure you can move with me." Rae said as she pulled at his arm._

_Dave stood up and followed her to the living room. "I was not flopping around, I was break dancing." _

"_Whatever." _

_Dave grabbed Rae's waist as Anita Baker's soothing voice permeated throughout the apartment. Rae rode the beat as if it was tailor made to her body. She turned around and pressed her body against his. "Isn't this nice?" _

_Dave rubbed Rae's back as he swayed with her to the music. "It is."_

_With their bodies pressed against each other, both Dave and Rae felt the sexual heat in the room. He didn't hold onto her as if she was just a casual partner; there was more to his touch, his grasp, his hold. And Rae didn't mind. But the moment she lost her footing and nearly fell, Dave grabbed her and leaned over her. _

"_Are you okay?" He asked._

_Rae swallowed as she was once again finding herself trying to catch her breath. "Yes."_

Dave caressed Rae's back as they continued to dance. "I miss us, Beautiful."

Rae tried hard to suppress her feelings but the emotions took over her. Small tears escaped her eyes as she clutched onto her former lover. She didn't know if there was a future but she hoped there would be one. "I miss us, too, Dave."

As Rae and Dave danced, Randy was watching them. He was shaking his head in disbelief.


	20. The Big Plan

He knew it all along.

Watching his pseudo-girlfriend dance with her former lover, Randy saw it coming ten miles away. Her remarks and comments towards Dave went from scathing to complimentary. Her attitude was condescending to bubbly positive, with the glass half-full.

It had nothing to do with Randy at all.

He knew Rae was still in love with Dave and it was evident with every sigh, ho-hum, and other passing noise she made during the night. Seeing the former lover dance solidified Dave was very much in love with Rae, despite him tagging the newest Diva.

And there wasn't anything Randy could do about it.

"Why are you such a sour-puss?" Mickie James bristled as she walked up to Randy. "Or do your lips naturally pucker from all that dick-sucking?"

"Probably." Randy replied without giving Mickie a glance. "Of course, you would know a thing or two about being on your knees so you're a natural expert."

Mickie folded her arms and anticipated another retort from her number-one nemesis. If there was someone who got on her good nerve with a quickness, it was definitely Randy Orton. "Real cute coming from someone who's the poster child for birth control."

"Real creative coming from someone who's a French fry away from Jenny Craig." He casually replied.

"Is that the best you can do, Orton?" Mickie smirked in victory. "Man, your comebacks are about as weak as your promos."

Randy smugly turned his head towards her. "Nothing is weaker than you wearing a skirt, James."

"And you wonder why your girlfriend is still in love with her ex?" Mickie's last comment made Randy shift in his stance, a clear sign of being uncomfortable. "Did I touch a nerve, Orton?"

"Now before I pull out my cock and slap you with it," Randy noticed Rae and Dave's dance ending, "I'm going to talk to my best friend. You have fun at your Weight Watchers meeting."

He walked out to the dance floor and tapped on Dave's shoulders. "Can I have this dance?"

"I don't swing that way, Orton." Dave replied.

"Fool, you're about one injury away from going back to school and pursuing your GED." Randy countered.

"Dave…" Rae interjected before things got out of hand between her friends, "I'll handle this."

"Yeah, go back to Ho-becca," Randy said, "I'm sure her mouth is waiting for your Small Dick Special."

Dave was about to retort until Rae motioned for him to leave. "I'll talk to you later, David," she said quietly.

Dave held Rae's face in his hands and softly kissed her lips. "I'll talk to you later, Beautiful," he then winked at Randy and whispered in his ear, "you can talk all the shit you want but she still loves me, bitch." Dave then walked off.

Randy took a small step forward before Rae held him back. "Thumper…"

Randy twirled Rae around, then pulled her close to his body. "I'm being good."

"You had an amazing night, Randy," she wiped small beads of sweat off his brow, "don't spoil it."

"Believe me, kicking his ass would have given me immeasurable amounts of pleasure," he replied, "but that's not the point. What's up with you and him?"

Rae looked down at the floor. She wasn't sure what the hell was happening between her and Dave. They were just friends, though their feelings were anything but just friendly. "Nothing," she muttered.

"Flower, I want you to be happy." Randy almost stuttered as he couldn't believe what he was saying. "And if pursuing Dave makes you happy, I'm all for it."

"I'm not going to pursue anyone, Thumper." Rae knew better than anyone the best decision to make was being alone. The last thing she needed was more drama in her life.

Randy slowly nodded as he and Rae continued their dance. He knew she needed time to herself and he was well aware of that. But he also didn't want to suffer because of it. "So this means we can still fuck, right?"

Rae kissed her best friend. "Yes, we can still fuck, Orton."

"Just checking," he shrugged as he twirled her again.

"But you need someone who's your equal," Rae suggested, "what do you like?"

"Someone who gives great head." Randy replied with all seriousness. "Yeah, I know I'm supposed to say that I like girls who are funny, smart, and blah blah blah but honestly, I don't give a shit."

"I'm glad you got over our breakup with flying colors," she rolled her eyes.

Randy smiled and gave a half-hearted shrug in defense. "You know I care about you, Flower."

"Sure you do." Rae let out a small sigh. "So what else am I looking for?"

"Well, someone who has a little meat on her bones but not too thick." Randy eyed his best friend again. "Someone like you."

"You call this a goddamn margarita?" Mickie was overhead yelling at the bartender. "Did you graduate from the Bartending School for the Stupid?"

"You know, I have the perfect girl for you." Rae smiled. She tried to contain her megawatt smile before it became too obvious what she was up to. "I think you might like her."


	21. This Can't Be Good

_Author's Note: Ya'll thought I forgot about this, huh? No, I didn't forget. I just didn't know how to proceed. And then a funny thing happened…I got inspired in an unexpected way…shout-out to my LOML._

_Enough babbling…onto the story._

Over the holidays, Rae made peace with Dave's daughters. She personally apologized to them for causing hurt and everything was back to normal. Well, back to normal as it could be. The girls were often at Rae's home for movie night and often filled her in the escapades their father was going through. Cianna, Elani and Kaira tried to play matchmaker but Rae remained single. She had enough drama in her life.

On her lone day off, Rae decided to take a stroll in the park. Reminiscing on her life and how it turned out, Rae took time to feed the ducks. She listened to the squawking, occasionally breaking out into a smile. The broken relationship with Dave was a nagging feeling in her gut, but Rae was overall happy. _Things are pretty damn good right now. _

"Good afternoon, Beautiful," Dave said as he stood beside her.

Rae was too concentrated on feeding the ducks to notice Dave walk up beside her. She smiled at him and continued to feed the ducks. "Beautiful day," she commented.

"It is," he replied.

The one thing Rae hated more than anything was the feeling Dave created in the pit of her stomach. He could merely stand beside her and all she thought about was how many positions he could twist her body in. It was torturous, overwhelming, delicious, intoxicating, and beautiful at the same time.

She hated him for it. She was in love with him because of it.

But that was during another time and place in her life. Since their breakup, things have turned for the worse but were slowly creeping on getting better. Dave and Rae maintained a cordial and professional relationship, while Dave continued to date others. Rae, meanwhile, was focused on getting Randy a date of his own.

"So what's going on, Rae?" Dave asked, hoping to break any awkward feeling between the two. "What's been happening in the life of Rae?"

"Nothing much, same ol' stuff. Kinda like the saying, 'same shit, different day.'" she smiled, "what about you? How is the world of David Bautista?"

"The world of David Bautista is chaotic," he grinned, "I'm sure you know that Tracy is getting remarried so I have nothing but wedding planning going on in my house with the girls being over. Absolutely no peace and quiet in my house. But I wouldn't want any other way."

Dave glanced over to his ex. With her hair pulled tightly in a ponytail and her light make up sun kissing her face, Dave admired how beautiful Rae looked. While his current girlfriend had to spend what felt like hours on her hair and makeup, Rae was content on just having some lip gloss, mascara and blush. "You look amazing." He admired.

Rae smiled and blushed slightly. "Thank you."

Rae turned her attention to a nearby playground. She watched various children playing in the park and seeing the small fights erupt over swings, sandcastles and makeshift armies. She always imagined that one day her and Dave would have a child of their own, preferably a boy so Dave would at least have an even playing field with the girls.

She secretly hoped that things would work out between them but she wasn't getting her hopes up. With Dave sporting a new girlfriend on his arm, Rae concluded that she would just have to settle for messing up the best relationship in her life. She was grateful they were at least friendly towards each other, if that was only it.

Still, the awkward silence between them was deafening. Something heavy was on their minds and both were too apprehensive to be the first to say anything. Wanting to break the forever silence and leave what was left of their relationship on a good note, Rae stood up. "Well, I guess I'll see you around," she said before walking off.

Dave watched her walk away. He was going to let her go about her merry way until something stirred inside him to stop her. "Rachel, wait."

Rae stopped and contemplated about turning around. The last time she was in this position, she was chasing Dave in a parking lot. It was a memory she didn't want to repeat anytime soon—or ever, for that fact. Hesitantly, she turned around. "Yeah?"

Dave approached her and stood just merely inches from her. "It was good seeing you," he said.

"It was good seeing you, too, David," she grinned. She turned and started to walk away again until Dave grabbed her. She turned again. "Yes?"

"What do you want?"

"I want you to let go of my arm," she teased.

Dave smiled and released his grip from Rae's arm. "You know what I meant, Rachel."

Rae bit her bottom lip and sighed. "I want to have a career, David. I want to get married and have babies. I want…I want…"

"You want?"

"Us. I want us, David," she finally admitted, "but I can't have us and I'm okay with that."

"Are you?" He questioned.

Rae nodded. She knew she wasn't okay with it. She was far fucking from being okay with it. But he couldn't know that. Not now. Not ever. "I am."

"I'm not," he replied.

"Huh?" She asked. Rae felt she needed Dave to hold her again so she wouldn't lose her balance and crumble to a heap on the floor. "What are you saying, David?"

Dave grabbed Rae's left hand and kissed it. "Can we talk at my place? Or yours, if you feel comfortable enough."

Was it really just a talk? Or did Dave want something more involving a box of condoms? Rae wasn't sure but she wasn't going to let an opportunity slip past her again. "Your place is fine," she smiled.

#

Randy Orton doesn't do dates. He just doesn't. He either fucks and gets off or well, that's about it.

So the moment he was talked into a date by his best friend, Randy knew it wasn't a good look. It meant spending time with some bimbo he'd forget the next hour. It meant spending money he could be saving and investing in another account.

It meant he was wasting his time and it wasn't a sure bet he was going to get ass. _Fuckin' great!_

Rae handpicked the restaurant and chose the set-up. She also made sure she was nowhere available or within the vicinity of said date. She already knew what was going to happen. She didn't want to be a victim to a potential murder.

Nevertheless, Randy waited impatiently as watched the clock tick on his Blackberry. His date was going to show up at any minute and his patience was getting the best of him. _Rae owes me one helluva blow job for this bullshit._

"Why the fuck are you here?" A loud and familiar voice shouted.

Randy calmly looked up and saw one Mickie James before him. "I'm sorry, the Weight Watchers meeting is down the street," he glanced down at his Blackberry again, "you can still make the first weigh-in if you hustle."

"Real cute, limp dick bastard," Mickie smiled, "I guess all the Viagra in the world can't cure your growing stupidity."

"Yeah, I would have to be pretty fuckin' stupid to fuck you," Randy glanced again at his Blackberry, "now, if you would excuse me, Shamu, I have a date."

"Oh? Who's the poor bimbo?"

"Someone fun, curvy, sexy…you know, the type of woman you could never be," Randy smiled.

"Randy, trust me," Mickie leaned over the table, "even if you were the last guy on planet fuckin' Earth, I would gladly start eating pink tacos instead of sucking your herpes-infested dick."

"Ouch."

"Checkmate," Mickie grinned. She took out her cell phone and dialed Rae. "Hey girl. Yeah, I'm at the restaurant. Where is this fool? What? He's wearing a blue shirt, blue jeans, and a black blazer?" Mickie looked around and tried to find her date. "I don't see…" She then made contact with Randy, who was wearing exactly what Rae had described. "…oh shit."


	22. Misery Loves Company

"_So tell me about this chick again?"_

"_She's drop dead gorgeous…just stunning!" Rae smiled. "She's curvy but not fat. She's got some meat on her. She's intelligent and from what I've heard, she's a pretty good fuck! She loves to crack jokes and she kinda has an unfiltered sense of humor so be prepared to be offended. I think she's perfect for you!"_

"_Well, if you think she's perfect for me, then she is," Randy gave his best friend a hug, "but she'll never compare to you." _

Randy shook his head in disgust as he thought of the memory. He should've known. Rae was a bit too giddy when she was describing his date.

"_What's her name, Flower?"_

"_Laree," Rae smiled, "Laree James." _

"_Laree James?" Randy questioned. "She sounds familiar."_

"_Doesn't it?" Rae smiled. _

Randy took another slurp from his beer and let out a deep and exacerbating sigh. _Of course she would use her middle name! _ Rae knew it all along and was probably planning a month in advance at least. Now Randy was stuck on a date with his worst enemy. _Jesus take the wheel. _

Meanwhile, Mickie felt she was getting ready to bust Rae's head for her conniving bullshit. Tall, dark, and handsome was what she described him. Intelligent and a snarky sense of humor. His name: Keith Randal. Mickie shook her head at the stupidity of it all. How she didn't pick up the fact Rae interchanged Randy's first and middle names, she felt mighty silly. _I'm going to put a hurting on that bitch! _

"Well, since we're here, we might as well make the best of it," Mickie pulled out a chair and plopped herself on it.

"Okay, let's get one thing straight, alright?" Randy leaned against the table as if he was conducting a serious meeting. "This is just a simple dinner between two people, alright? This is not a fucking date. I'll pay my half; you'll pay your half. But this is not a fucking date, got it? So don't go get your panties all wet and twisted because you ain't getting any dick from me."

"Motherfucker, like I would _want_ to fuck you?" Mickie bristled.

-------------------------------------

It had been so long since Rae was in Dave's home, she almost forgot what it looked like. Most things were the same but there were a few significant changes. The sofas were at a different angle. There were more pictures in the hallway. The atmosphere was of a different aura.

She found herself missing it.

There was a time not long ago when Rae was at Dave's home on a regular basis. Instead of stopping by her apartment down the way, she would make a beeline to Dave's house from the airplane. She knew the daily, weekly, and monthly routines. The sunlight would shine bright on her at approximately 6:45 every morning. Dave would be in the shower at 7:15. She would hear his terrible singing at 7:18. He would get back into bed and snuggle with her at 7:30.

It was a routine Rae was familiar with it and growing uncomfortable by the memories flooding her head. She looked at the kitchen and remembered when Dave tried to teach how to make scrambled eggs. Somehow she ended up scorching the skillet.

Rae's thoughts were broken when Dave sat beside her on one of the sofas. He poured them both glasses of wine and sat back. If Rae was nervous about being inside Dave's home, he was feeling the exact sentiments. He admitted to himself he was surprised accepted his offer yet alone follow him home. He thought for sure she would ditch him and turn the other way.

But she didn't. Now his one true love was sitting beside him on the sofa where they made love many times over. He swore to himself he wouldn't try anything and wasn't expecting sex. But if it happened, he wouldn't decline it. "What are you thinking?" He finally asked.

Rae took a sip of her wine. She clutched the goblet as if it was the only thing keeping her sane. "That I probably shouldn't be doing this," she finally admitted.

"Why?"

"You have a girlfriend, Dave. I don't know why I'm here."

"I have a situation, Rachel, and you know why you're here."

Rae again shook her head. "I can't do this," she put her wine glass down and picked up her purse.

"You can't do what?"

"This! I can't do this!" Rae exclaimed. "I can't do this, David, alright? I can't pretend that everything is cool between us when it's not. I can't pretend that I'm happy that you're dating another woman. I can't pretend that I'm okay with this little polite "situation" that we're in. I'm not, okay? I'm not. And it's better that we just left each other alone."

Dave set his wine glass down. Was this really happening again? Expressing his frustrations would only upset Rae and that was the last thing he needed. "Is that what you want?"

It wasn't and Rae knew it. But it was the one thing that would make her life that much easier. "Yes," she whispered.

Dave knew Rae was lying. Her mouth was saying something her heart and eyes were not feeling. But he wasn't about to convince Rae otherwise. If that was what she wanted—bullshit or not—that's what he had to agree with. "Alright," he said quietly. He then got up and opened his front door. "Thank you for coming over, Beautiful."

Oh how she wished he would never call her that. Too many painful memories were associated with that name."Thank you, David," she then left his town home.

---------------------

"So exactly why don't you like me?" Randy asked.

Mickie chuckled as the question stopped her from enjoying her mozzarella stick. The first half hour went without incident. Both entertainers were cordial to each other and actually gave suggestions on what food was good at the restaurant. Once the drinks came, the pair sat in blissful silence, playing on their Blackberries and ignoring each other. So it was only a matter of time before Randy ruined it with being thoughtful. "Are you serious?"

"That's why I asked."

Mickie shook her head and smiled. "Orton, there isn't enough time in the world to express how much I hate your ass."

"Is that it? Is that all you're going to say?"

Mickie chewed her mozzarella stick. "Pretty much."

Randy sucked on his teeth. "Typical."

"Excuse me?"

"All of you women are one and the same. You ask us men to pay attention to you and bitch when we don't listen. Then when we fucking ask what's the goddamn problem, you either get all bitch on us or my personal favorite, the 'nothing' comment," he shook his head.

"Fine, if you want the truth? You got it!" Mickie laughed. "Randy, you're a dick. You're a chauvinist asshole who thinks he can fuck any woman he wants…"

Randy feigned contemplative thought. "Because I can…"

"…and you can get away with anything because of your name…"

"Because I do…"

"And honestly, you're ugly."

"Because I'm…what?"

"You're ugly. Not physically ugly…" Mickie took a sip of her margarita. "You're inside ugly. That's why I hate you."

Randy was surprised at himself for feeling insulted. He's been called worse things and had heard worse things said about him. But his inner beauty was ugly? What kind of bullshit was that? He was so stunned, he only had one word to express his discontent. "Wow."

"Truth hurts doesn't it, bitch?" Mickie prodded.

Randy's eyes cut at Mickie. She wasn't just pouring salt on a wound, she was taking a pair of scissors and making it deeper. "Do you get off on making other people miserable?"

"I get off making _you _miserable, Orton."


	23. A Dream and a Nightmare

_Author's Note: The song lyrics used in this chapter are from 7Mile, "Do Your Thang."_

_---------------------------------_

They say one is the loneliest number. They say you're lonely at the top. Dave wished right about now, _they _would shut the fuck up.

_Girl I know everything  
And even though it hurts me  
I gotta let you do your thing_

He stood in his living room, sipping on a glass of Merlot and feeling quite the idiot. Did he expect sex when he invited his old flame over? Not really. Did he expect them to work out their problems as grown adults? Very much so.

Did he expect the big fucking elephant to stand there over his shoulder? Not in a million years.

_Baby the thought of you  
Being caught up in another romance  
Is making me crazy but  
I gotta let you do your thing_

Out of all the emotions Dave was experiencing, the one resonated the most was emptiness. He wasn't sad. He was crushed. Too many times Dave contemplated whether breaking up with Rae was a smart move. He shouldn't have been nervous. Rae had been over at his home countless number of times. She practically lived there at one point.

Truth to be told, he was still in love with her. He knew it, the girls knew it; hell, even Randy Orton knew it. It was an open secret backstage at the live events. The Divas once again placed their respective bets. Hunter made his usual snide remarks.

Yet, nothing happened. Dave was sure it was the safest course of action. How wrong he was.

There was Rebecca. Then there was a brief romance with Melina, followed by a fling with Kelly Kelly. But they were fuck buddies as far as he was concerned. He needed someone to keep him company and that was it. Rae moved on with her life and Dave moved on with his.

It still sucked, though.

He stared out his balcony looking at the ocean. A flashback of him and Rae having a water-balloon fight appeared. They both were wearing beater tank tops with matching shorts. Rae made a comment it was only a matter of time before they were going to start matching each other and Dave agreed. It was then he suckered her with a water balloon and all hell broke loose afterwards.

Ducking and dodging. Hiding and contemplating. It wasn't just a water balloon game between the two of them; it was a strategic game of winning. Dave could've easily beat Rae but knew there was no way in hell he was going to get any ass that night. Instead, he let her win. Rae paraded her victory around the townhouse, occasionally doing a booty dance to show her excitement. It was only a matter of time before a booty dance turned into her being bent over the ottoman with Dave doing her doggy-style.

Dave's memory was broken when he heard a soft knock on his door. Slightly irritated someone interrupted his memory, he opened the door. His face was motionless when he realized it was Rae. "Yes?"

"I forgot my…um…jacket," she pointed inside.

"Oh, allow me," Dave stepped aside as Rae entered his place.

Rae retrieved her jacket and headed towards the front door. "Well, good-bye."

"Good-bye, Rachel."

Rae stepped a foot outside Dave's apartment when she turned around. "I forgot to kiss you good-bye," she gave him a peck on his cheek.

It was either now or never. The worse Rae could have done was slap Dave and then he knew it was truly over between them. He grabbed Rae's waist and kissed her lips. Rae didn't resist her ex as she closed her eyes and grabbed onto his back. She missed feeling Dave on her lips, playing with her tongue, and making her heat rise.

With a quick motion, Dave picked up Rae and walked to his bedroom where they made love all afternoon and night. They both fell back into a natural rhythm that they shared many times over, exploring each other beings and souls. Nothing ever felt as welcoming as Rae's moans echoed off Dave's walls. And Dave couldn't get enough of her generosity with her hands and her mouth as she pleasured him to no end.

Falling into a peaceful sleep in each other's arms, the pair was content. They didn't know where their relationship was going to go or what the future held. But they were happy that for one night, there was resolution.

---------------------

The bright sunlight shined on Randy Orton's face. He didn't know what time it was, nor did it matter. His head was throbbing. It wasn't just a killer hangover; it was a painful one. One too many beers. One too many cocktails and shots. Probably a few glasses of wine were thrown in for shits and giggles.

Maybe it wasn't a bad idea. After seeing who his blind date was, Randy was determined to get as fucked up as possible. He clearly succeeded.

He rubbed his face as he tried to get a grasp of his surroundings. It was a hotel room. A very expensive hotel room. He squinted as he tried to make out where he was. It was the Four Seasons. How he ended up there was now a mystery. Furthermore, did he really shell out Four Seasons money?

He sat up in bed and immediately felt a draft. Checking under the covers, Randy was ass naked. He glanced over to the nightstand. An empty bottle of Cristal was on the nightstand with his AMEX in plain view. He quickly snatched his credit card and re-shifted his focus. His clothes were strewn all over the floor and if he stared hard enough, he could make out a female's clothing as well. He removed the covers from his body and placed his feet on the floor, where he immediately stepped on open Magnum wrappers. Three of them.

Randy let out a deep sigh of relief knowing in all of his drunkenness, he was at least careful. The next question was, with whom?

"Oh goddamn. You're still fucking here?"

The all-too familiar voice struck a wrong chord in Randy's mind. He knew the fantasy of a hot and mysterious babe who suddenly disappeared was too good to be true. Instead, he bedded his worst enemy and she was still there.

Randy closed his eyes and said a silent prayer. If he prayed hard enough…if God was listening…Mickie would be clothed and out of his sight within the next five seconds.


	24. Well, first, the good news

"Good morning."

"Good morning."

"How did you sleep?"

Rae chuckled. "What sleep?"

Dave smiled. His ex was right. They only briefly rested between lovemaking sessions, eventually falling asleep around 4 AM. They both could blame they were equally horny for each other, but both knew the other would be full of shit. They missed each other—passionately and deeply. Every thrust was a reminder. Every orgasm was breathtaking memory.

But that was last night and this morning. They weren't having sex now. They were wide awake and wrapped in each other's embrace, contemplating what the next step was. Were they a couple? Were they just fuck buddies? Was last night a mistake? Was last night the beginning of where they left off?

So many questions and neither one were sure how to approach the other. Instead, Rae and Dave did what they knew was best in their minds---avoided the subject.

"Breakfast?" Dave suggested.

"I'm starving!"

------------------------------------

There was a thing called buyer's remorse. It occurs when someone makes a purchase and realizes they probably shouldn't have. Normally, one keeps the purchase after they realize how necessary it is in the long run.

Randy had remorse, alright. For him, however, it was Tequila remorse.

His memory was still a bit hazy but he started to remember bits and pieces of the night before. He remembered he kept drinking because it would've made being around Mickie more tolerable. They probably went through two bottles of champagne. That wasn't counting the various cocktails and beer the pair had to start. Thus, it was only a matter of time before the two ended up in a compromising position on a hotel room floor. And then on the bathroom counter. And then on the hotel room balcony. Somehow, they ended up on the bed.

But it wasn't lovemaking. It was hard-core raw fucking. No strings attached. No love lost or given. Randy and Mickie fucked each other with the same passionate hatred they had for one another. It was beautiful and disgusting at the same time.

As Randy wiped his face, he began to remember little by little what did take place the night before. They went to a bar. Mickie dared him to a Tequila contest. _That motherfucking bitch! _Randy accepted the challenge only if Mickie would show him her snatch. _In your fucking wet limp dick dreams, asshole! She retorted. _ Randy told her he wasn't going to do anything unless Mickie gave him a reason. She relented and showed him her tits. Randy found himself being quite impressed and cheered to her.

And it quickly went downhill from there.

Several Tequila shots later, Mickie and Randy were bumping and grinding to a cover band's version of "Miss You" by the Rolling Stones. _I fucking hate that song now_, Randy snickered. Sometime during the bump and grind, the two locked lips and the grinding quickly became more sexual.

_I want to fuck you…right here…right now. _

_Fuck, what are you waiting for? _

Randy closed his eyes in disgust as he remembered the conversation exchange. How could he be so fucking stupid? He has let his dick take control and do some strange things in the past but this surely was one of the stupidest. He fucked another Diva. No, it wasn't even that. He fucked the Diva he _hated. _Worse yet, Mickie had just as much clout as Randy did so threatening to get her fired would only generate a loud, boorish laugh and a "Fuck you" from her.

_Fuck. And she's still here?_

_------------------------------_

Wheaties was known as the Breakfast of Champions. Dave's famous bacon and eggs was known as the Breakfast of Uncomfortable Bullshit Chatter.

As the lovers sat across from each other, they talked about everything except what and who went down the night before. The discussion needed to take place. The discussion _had_ to take place. But neither one was drinking the Courage Juice masquerading as orange juice. Instead, denial and avoidance was served alongside the hash browns.

"So what's on your agenda today?" Rae asked.

"Um, not much," Dave shrugged, "I think I'll probably hit the gym a couple times and then take one of the dogs out for a walk. You?"

"Um, I'll just catch up with some reading and what-not," she nervously laughed, not sure why she laughed at all.

Dave knew his ex all too well. If there was something on her mind, he was better off attempting his best Psychic Friends Network impersonations to read it than for Rae to give him an inkling on what she wanted. Making love once may have been classified as a mistake. But 5 times was no mistake. They both weren't _that _horny. "Rachel?"

"Yes?"

"Move in with me."

"Today?"

"Preferably."

"Okay."

Breakfast wasn't so bad after all.

---------------------------

Mickie has done a lot of stupid-ass things in her lifetime. The time she wrestled while she on her period and wearing a white outfit was pretty stupid. The times she listened to Vince McMahon and thought he gave her sound advice was pretty stupid.

But fucking Randy Orton? Oh, that was above and beyond stupid. That was just fucking retarded. She might as well been licking windows and wearing a helmet at that point.

Unfortunately for Mickie, she remembered every single uncomfortable detail of the prior night. All she wanted to do was get Randy so sloshed, she could take some incriminating photos of him for future blackmail use. Oh, the camera was in play last night. And she was one of the starring players in a feature-film titled, 'Mickie Does Randy and Swallows.'

Now the asshole was in bed with her. Why he couldn't be like her previous one-nighters and leave before day break? Oh no. That was just too easy for Randy. Mickie was determined he was there to torture her just a bit longer. _And well, the asshole is succeeding. _

But if Randy was going to torture Mickie, she was going to hit him right back with something hard. She got up from her side of the bed and walked to the bathroom, stark naked in Randy's view. She did her business and quickly showered. As she showered, Mickie thought of another way to torture Randy one last time. She was going to exit the shower absolutely soaking wet with just a smile. And then? Nothing. She wasn't going to fuck him or even give him the repeat blow job performance of last night. She would leave.

_Perfect!_

Mickie finished her shower and gently patted the wet drops off her skin, still leaving her damp and slightly wet to the touch. Just as she opened the door to give Randy the blue balls of his life, he surprised her.

He was gone. And Mickie found herself sad and wondering where he went.


	25. Lie, Lie, and Deny

"I am going to kick your motherfucking ass!" Randy shouted as he entered Rae's trailer.

Rae smiled as she prepared for the night's show. It had been several days since she set up the Blind Date from Hell between her best friends. Mickie was awfully silent and Randy, well, couldn't wait to tell Rae off in person. It was only a matter of time before Rae learned of the deliciously wicked details in all glory. "Yes, lover?"

"Oh, fuck you, Rae. Fuck you!" Randy snickered. If he couldn't blame it on the a-a-alcohol., he damn sure was going to blame his best friend for the actions his dick had done.

Rae had been impatiently waiting by her phone for any updates from Randy. He was a master of telling off people by using just a few words, usually all of them four-letter ones. _He never said he had a big vocabulary. I guess his dick made up for it. _"I take it was a good date?"

"No, it wasn't a good date and I should fucking kick you in the twat for being such a bitch," he insulted as Rae laughed, "no, this shit isn't funny."

"Randy, the date was on Wednesday. It's now Monday night. You're just now complaining to me? If the date was that bad, I would've heard about it on Thursday morning, which what do you know?" Rae took out her flip phone and screened through the call list. "Your number isn't on here. Heh. How about that?"

Randy knew where Rae was going with her commentary. She had a point. But he couldn't let her know that. "If you were a man, I'd fuck you up."

"If you were a man," she retorted, "you would tell me what really happened."

----------------------

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Why?"

"Because your mouth is silent," Maria commented, "and for you, that's a first!"

Mickie James always had something to say and it usually wasn't positive, either. She was known for her wisecracks and smart-ass remarks. Anyone and everyone was fair game. If she had a great date, everyone knew. If she had a bad date, everyone knew.

But her date with Randy? No one knew. And what occurred on that date was a heavily-guarded secret. If Randy was going to pretend he didn't know Mickie, she damn sure was going to return the favor.

Even if she didn't want to.

"You sure you're okay?" Maria prodded. "You're never this quiet."

"Geez, can't a bitch keep her thoughts to herself for once?" Mickie muttered in frustration.

"No, not you," Trish shook her head.

Mickie turned her head towards Trish and gave her a death glance. "Real fuckin' cute, Blondie."

"I'm just saying," Trish held up her hands, "you're never this quiet."

"Did Vince piss you off?" Victoria asked.

"No."

"Did Stephanie piss you off?" Torrie asked.

"No."

"Did one of the guys piss you off?" Michelle asked.

The million-dollar question. Randy didn't piss Mickie off, per se, but he did make her feel like shit. She had a feeling the next morning was going to be awkward but she wasn't expecting him to up and leave her like she was some floozy one-night stand. He didn't even give the common respect of saying 'Good-bye.' Now that _really_ upset Mickie. At least she gave her booty-calls a Post-It Note on the mirror. "No," she answered curtly, "now, if you excuse me, I have to get ready for my match, and not this fake-ass interrogation from CSI: Whore Division." She then left the locker room.

The Divas gathered around each other and just stared at the closed door. Something was up with Mickie. She was _never_ that silent and private. Even when her goldfish died, she went on about it for days. When she broke a heel in her good pumps, she mourned them as if she lost a relative.

Something was definitely amiss with Ms. James. And The Divas were determined to find out what it was. Trish stepped out in front and folded her arms. "I wonder who was her mystery date last week?"

-------------------

"Well? Are you going to tell me or do I have to beat it out of you?"

"You and how many of your friends?"

Rae devilishly grinned. Something happened alright the other night between Randy and Mickie. He wouldn't have been that quiet about nothing. Rae had a feeling on what might have occurred but thinking and wondering didn't help anyone but Cinderella. She needed proof. "I'm listening?"

"Um…"

"Is there something I should know about?"

"What? Nah.." Randy brushed off her question.

"You sure?" She prodded.

Randy looked around to make sure no one was within earshot of what he was about to reveal. The last thing he needed was more gossip. "You can't say anything, Flower."

Rae held up her crossed fingers. "Promise, Thumper."

Randy swallowed his pride and carefully thought if revealing the incriminating details of the other night was worth it. He was better off pretending it never happened like he had been for the past week. They say the truth shall set one free, but Randy had no problem keeping it locked up in a cage.

Meanwhile, Rae was growing impatient. She knew what was going to tell her but nothing beat hearing it straight from the Whore's mouth. "Fool, are you going to tell me because I don't have…"

"I slept with Mickie," he blurted.

A smirk grew on Rae's face. _It finally happened. _Rae knew the hatred between Mickie and Randy was more of sexual frustration, not pure dislike, despite how much both would like to claim it was. Now the deed was done and both were acting like it never happened. _Not surprising, _Rae thought.

Still, she kept her smile on. It wasn't the typical, "_I told you so_," smirk but rather, '_Oh, he finally admitted it?_' "When did this take place?"

"On our date," he mumbled.

"I'm sorry what was that?"

"Woman, you heard me," he sternly reminded.

Rae sweetly smiled. There was time to gloat later. "Well, was it good, at least?"

Was it good? Randy wanted to smile. It was fucking amazing. Mickie knew exactly what she was doing. Her tongue was both skillful and addicting. _She can suck start a 747._ Her core was tight and moist, encompassing his shaft with every thrust he gave her. She didn't scream like his previous conquests but dared him to fuck her harder and faster.

_Come on, give it to Mama, Daddy._

_Ooh…is that for me? Let me have a taste. _

_Fuck, your dick is so big, baby. I'm gonna come all over it. _

Randy felt an erection popping up just thinking about it.

"Randy? Hello?" Rae waved her fingers in his face. "Back to Earth, lover boy."

Randy blinked several times to erase the memory of Mickie sprawled on her back. He couldn't, though. It was forever tattooed on his mind and dick. "Yeah?"

"Now what?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing? That's it?"

"Well, what did you expect from me, Rae? Let's be real now." Randy stood up and adjusted his jeans, hoping his impending erection was calmed down. "Did you think I was going to wife that fat ass?"

"Well, no, but…"

"There's no but to it. She was a fuck and that's it. Nothing more, nothing less." Randy defended his asshole actions, which surprisingly, made him uncomfortable. "I'll chat with you later, Flower." He then left her trailer.

Rae leaned back in her seat and chuckled silently. She had seen many sides of Randy Orton. The passionate and skillful lover. The heartbreaker. The egotistical asshole. The emotional man. But this side she had only seen once when they were dating.

Randy Orton was smitten. And he was having the damnest time trying to hide it.


	26. You're Hiding A Secret, Too

Something was definitely amiss. Something in the air. Something in the mood.

Something with Randy Orton.

John and Randy have gone way back. They trained together. Survived OVW. Partied together. Hell, even tag-teaming the same groupies together. They were best friends and confidantes. So when something was wrong with Randy, John knew. But what he wasn't expecting was Randy to be so tight-lipped about it. Randy complained about everything, even the most mundane stuff.

But for once, he was quiet like a mouse. Highly unusual for someone who had problems keeping his loose lips closed. "What's up with you, man? You okay?" John asked.

"I'm fine!" Randy inadvertently snapped, causing John to purse his lips. "Sorry, man. I have a lot on my plate."

"Need to talk?"

_No one can ever find out about this. _"Nah, I'm fine. I just need to work this out on my own."

"Alright, man," John left it alone.

After a few moments, Randy turned to his friend. "Okay, let's say you did something real stupid, but it wasn't stupid to you or the other person, but you can't tell the other person about it. You have to keep it moving like shit never happened. Like, what do you do?"

John studied Randy's face and let out an inaudible sigh. _Same story, different Diva_. "Who did you drunk-fuck this time?"

-------------------------

"Hey Rae," Mickie entered Rachel's booth, "you wanted to see me?"

"Yeah," Rachel motioned Mickie to close the door, "I wanted to go over the entrance with you."

Mickie sat across from her. "So what's up?"

Rachel turned off the screens she was looking at and turned to Mickie. "I know what happened."

Ice immediately shot up Mickie's back. _No fucking way._ If Randy returning to acting like a dick wasn't bad enough, he was now bragging about the encounter. _Just fucking great._ "What do you mean?"

"Mickie…"

"I refuse to talk about it," she then stood up and headed towards the door, "I don't know what shit you and Orton have going on but I want no part of it, so fuck you and fuck him, too!"

"You know he likes you?"

Mickie stopped in her tracks and paused at the door for a moment. There was no way she heard what she thought came out of her good friend's mouth. "What?"

"Mickie, he likes you."

Mickie turned around and walked towards Rachel as if she was on a mission of sorts. "Are you bullshitting me? Because if you're bullshitting me, Rae, I swear…"

Before Mickie could finish her sentence, Rachel interrupted her. "And you like him, too."

"The fuck I do!"

"Oh?" Rachel folded her arms. "Why the hasty reaction?"


	27. No Longer a Secret

"So are you going to tell me which Diva you're avoiding a sexual harassment lawsuit from, Orton?" John shook his head. After all these years, he thought he was used to his best friend's exploits. But Randy seemed to surprise John still and never in a good way. John was never sure laugh at the sheer stupidity of Randy or attempt to help. Normally, he would laugh.

Randy looked around the empty gym to make sure there was absolutely no one else that could hear what he had to say. He was determined to take the secret with him to the grave but that choice was no longer an option. He was afraid of what Mickie was capable of. "I fucked James," he admitted.

Randy's sudden admission came as a surprise to John. He knew his best friend tried some freaky shit but swinging the other direction was a little _too _freaky for him. "You fucked a dude, bro?"

"What? Oh hell no! No, not a guy," Randy once again looked around the gym, "Mickie."

John's original thought was far more interesting than the truth. "Oh." He went back to lifting weights.

"Oh? Oh? That's all you're going to say? I fucked her!"

"Yeah, yeah and you fucked just about every other female in the company as well," John breathed as he counted his reps, "so?"

"I think I love that bitch."

Randy's admission made John drop his barbells.

--------------

"I hope you're not implying that I like that lying, cheating, conniving, manipulative asshole, Rachel." Mickie folded her arms.

"I'm not implying a damn thing," Rae grinned, "your actions are telling me everything I need to know."

"My actions aren't saying shit!"

"Yeah, okay," Rae turned back to focus on her work.

Mickie was on her way out Rae's door when she stopped. Randy obviously stopped by and spoke to Rae about what happened the other day. She knew she shouldn't have cared. She knew he probably went into gross detail about her body and sex skills. But the little teenage girl inside Mickie made her ridiculously curious on what her nemesis could have said. Worse case scenario, she would use it in a promo.

She approached Rae again but was stopped by her voice. "He really likes you, Mickie," she said softly.

Mickie caught herself twirling her hair and quickly got rid of the big smile on her face."Really?"

"Really," Rae glanced at Mickie, "he also said you're the best fuck he's ever had."

"Well, of course," Mickie felt her cheeks growing to a nice rosy glow, "um, anything else?"

Rae shook her head. "No."

Mickie felt disappointed there was nothing else Randy mentioned but was happy there was that least bit. "Well, thank you for the info, Rae."

"Mickie?"

"Yeah?"

"He's working out with John right now if you want to meet up with him. They're just down the street." Rae glanced at her watch, "if you hurry, you can still catch him."

Mickie rushed over and gave her good friend a big hug. "I owe you big time."

"I know."

Outside Rae's trailer, a shocked Trish Stratus overheard the entire conversation. She was about to meet with Rae to go over her surprise entrance video for the night but ended up getting a shock of her own. "Randy and Mickie hooked up? STFU!"


	28. Figure It Out Yourself

As she walked to Gold's Gym, Mickie couldn't help but to think how stupid she was for even entertaining the idea of talking to Randy. He made it clear how he felt about her despite what Rae said to the contrary. Still, it didn't stop the lingering issues in Mickie's head. Did Randy truly feel the same? Did he even care? Could there even be a future?

Furthermore, why in the fuck did she care?

Meanwhile at the gym, Randy was trying to erase every memory of Mickie out of his head. He had to admit she was the one Diva he wanted to fuck from the first time he saw her. But it was her attitude that kept Randy from even slightly succeeding. She read his mind. That was a negative. She knew what he was about. That was a double-negative.

She was the female version of him. That was unbelievable.

He stayed clear of her until it was the right moment. He would have to wait to get her drunk to do it. The problem was Mickie was drunk often and when she was, she wasn't exactly vulnerable. She was feisty and bitchy—a complete turn-on for Randy.

Shaking his head to rid himself of Mickie's image, Randy turned to his best friend again. "So what should I do?"

"Well," John put down a pair of barbells, "just tell her you love her and want to be with her. She probably feels the same way."

Randy shot a disbelieving look. "You know this is Mickie, we're talking about, right?"

John shrugged. "If she shoots you down, her loss. If she doesn't—and I doubt she will—you know what to do."

Randy looked contemplative for a brief moment as he stared into space. Randy Orton has never told a chick his feelings and he wasn't about to start with his nemesis. "So what should I do besides that?"


	29. And It's On!

Trish Stratus had been privy to a lot of locker room gossip over the years. There was always the torrid affairs that became boring and commonplace after a while. There was the standard backstabbing often resulting in someone not being seen on TV very much. Unfortunately, Trish got so used to everything nothing surprised her anymore.

Until the newfound information regarding Randy and Mickie. Now that was pretty interesting.

Trish knew something was up when Mickie was unusually quiet that day in the locker room. Mickie was known to flap her gums no matter what mood she was in, but that particular morning she was so quiet, the other Divas forgot she was still in the room with them until she stormed out.

"Something else happened on their date," Trish whispered, "I'm going to find out right now."

She headed to Gold's gym.

* * *

There was no way in blue hell it could be happening. No way in blue fuckin' hell, Mickie scathed.

There was no way she was in love with Randy Orton. No fucking way.

Sure, he was the best fuck she's ever had, but that didn't mean shit. Any guy with a big cock could fuck her brains out if Mickie would let them. And of course Randy's his stupid-boy charm was just an act as he proved to be a calculated young man full of ambition and promise.

But it was his baby blues that won Mickie over. For the longest time she thought he was heartless, evil and just plain stupid. Then his eyes told a different story. He was a man who admittedly had douchebag tendencies but tried very hard to make his family proud.

Mickie shook her head as she rushed to Gold's gym. She was really in love with that asshole. There was no guarantee he felt the same way. For all Mickie knew, Randy was already bragging about how he nailed her in five different positions. It was that moment where Mickie knew protecting her heart wasn't a priority.

Protecting her reputation and character, however, became a major concern. If Randy rejected her there was not a doubt in anyone's mind Mickie would go out of her way to destroy every last bit of him.

* * *

"So?" Randy started again. "What do I do?"

John wanted to laugh. The last time he saw his best friend love-struck was when he was dating Rae. But Randy was never this bad. Randy was in love with Rae, no question. Randy, this time around however, was ready to slurp Mickie's bath water. "Dude, why are you asking me? I already told you what to do."

"Bro, you really think she's going to buy that shit? 'Hey, Mick, I think you're the best fuck I ever had. Wanna date?'" Randy shrugged.

_Tact is not your strong suit. _"With a little rephrasing, yes," John smiled.

"I'm not telling her, bro,"

John put his hands up in defense. "Fine by me, your life."

"Okay, let's just say I do ask her if she wants to pursue something," Randy still couldn't believe the words coming out of his mouth, "what do I say?"

"Just ask her out on a date, bro," John felt he was teaching a 3-year-old how to ride a bike, "and she'll accept."

"What if she doesn't?" Randy countered.

John sighed. "Then I don't know, bro. How about this? Why don't you ask Mickie yourself? She's standing right behind you."


	30. The Open Secret

If Randy could knock John the fuck out, now would've been the time to do it. He only hoped Mickie didn't hear a word what was said. He slowly turned around and faced his nemesis. He had to stop himself from smiling. Truthfully, he was happy to see her again. It took him a few days to realize he was truly, madly, and deeply in love with her. If someone were to ask him a few years ago if he would fall in love with his arch nemesis, Randy would've died in laughter.

Now he couldn't imagine his life without her.

A quick slap to Randy's face, however, told him Mickie felt otherwise. "Well, that's my cue to go," John wiped down his workout station and grabbed his water, "I'll leave you two lovebirds alone."

Randy rubbed his cheek. "Nice to see you, too, Sugar Tits."

"I don't have a damn thing to say to you," Mickie sucked her teeth, "I just wanted to say fuck you for the worse sex I have ever fucking had. But believe me, you're not worth bragging about." She began to walk off.

Randy grabbed Mickie and pulled her to a nearby corner. She stared into his blue orbs and found every emotion but love. "I know you were bullshitting so I'm not even going to try to embarrass you right now. So I'll just say this one fucking line and have it be over and done with. Whatever you want to do with it is your own panty-wetting choice, got it?

"I fucking love you. There. Be happy."

Mickie's heart warmed. Did he really mean it? Or was he just bullshitting like always. "How do I know you're not just saying that to get back into my pants?"

Randy rolled his eyes. "James, I think you know me well enough I wouldn't just make a comment like that just to hit it."

"I know you well enough to know better, yes," Mickie shot back.

Randy put up his hands in self-defense. "Hey, I'm not going to argue with you. If you're insistent on spitting your hot-breath fire in my face, at least help me spot."

"Why do you always gotta be an asshole, Orton?"

"Why do you always skip doing squats and insist on wearing short-ass skirts, James?"

"Fuck you, Orton," Mickie sneered.

Randy laid a hard slap across Mickie's left butt cheek. She whimpered in pleasure. "I know you love me, too."

* * *

"Have you heard anything?" Maria asked Trish over the phone.

"I haven't even seen them!" Trish covered her brow in search for the pair. "I'm wondering if I even went to the wrong gym!"

"There's only one Gold's Gym around here; I'm sure they're there somewhere."

"I don't see them!" Trish did a quick glance in every nook and cranny of the gym and had not seen fiery couple. She briefly wondered if she should attempt to go inside one of the steam rooms but decided it would not have been smart. The last thing she needed was to see a pair of old balls staring back at her. "I'll keep looking, though! I'm determined to find out what happened!"

"Keep us posted!" Maria chimed in. "We got a bet going here!"

Trish folded up her phone and stood in the middle of the gym with her hands on her hips. _They're here. They're probably doing it somewhere. _"Now the question is where could they be?" She spoke out loud.

"Where could who be?" John asked her.

Trish was startled and nearly jumped out of her skin. She turned around with her hand still grabbing her chest. "Jesus, Cena! Don't scare me like that!"

"Sorry about that, Trish," he smiled, "I thought you needed some help looking for someone."

_No one must know that I know._ "No, I thought I saw some of the old heads here and I just needed to…um, talk to them."

"About what?"

"Stuff," she grinned.

"Like what?"

_Does he know?_ "Inquisitive right now, aren't we?"

"Not really," John shrugged, "just curious."

"Oh," Trish tried to hide her obvious emotions, "well, I'm just looking to be looking."

John laughed. "Alright."

"Okay," Trish took a couple of steps away from John, "so I'm going…to be…going now."

"Sure thing, Stratus," he walked back to his workout station, "oh and one more thing?"

"Yes?"

"You really need to get better at lying."


	31. Not So Much A Secret

_Author's Note: This chapter contains a sexual scene. _

* * *

"You okay, man?" Paul asked his friend. "You seem like something's bothering you."

_Something's bothering me, alright. _Dave was sweating profusely and lost what was left of his small appetite. He hadn't been that nervous during his daughters' births and now he felt like something was choking him from behind. Even a Hell in a Cell match seemed like small potatoes compared to what he was feeling at the moment.

Rae's engagement ring was burning a hole in his pocket. "Just nervous, man," he whispered.

"Dude, I'm sure she'll say yes," Paul reassured, "don't worry about it."

"I'm trying not to," Dave shrugged, "but you never know."

"Dude, this will be your third engagement," Paul smiled, "you should be an expert at this shit already!"

* * *

Trish scoffed at John. Her? A liar? Granted, it was true but he couldn't know that! "What are you talking about?"

"Cut the shit, Stratus," John took a swig of his water, "I know why you're here and it's not to look for Hillbilly Jim."

"Maybe I wanted to check out the gym before I used it?"

John shot a disapproving look. "Let's see, we come to this city three times a year and this is the first time you saw the gym?"

Trish was running out of time. "Cena, what do you want? I'm in a hurry here."

"Leave the two lovebirds alone," he wiped off his brow, "they need time to talk." Trish opened her mouth and feigned surprised but John already figured out she knew the secret, "don't be surprised because you know who I'm talking about."

Trish sat down beside John on the workout bench. "Do you think they have a shot at making it?"

John took another swig of his water. "If they don't kill each other first."

* * *

Out of all the places Mickie James has had sex; she never thought she would be fucking in a steam room at the local gym. Yet, the newest sexual exploration didn't really surprise her.

Not wanting to wait to get back to the hotel, Mickie and Randy went to the steam room. He double-checked no one was in the hazy room by doing a quick search. Once he thought the room was clear, he quickly helped Mickie take off her jeans as he pulled out his already-hard shaft. Mickie climbed on top of Randy and eased herself down on him. She sucked her teeth; remembering the incredible pressure all of Randy had inside her. He was so big and felt right as her tightness wrapped around him.

But there was no time to soft and sweet lovemaking. Both wrestlers had to get back to the arena soon so they quickly expedited their lovemaking. Randy grabbed Mickie's ass and guided her up and down on his shaft as she moaned into his mouth. He rocked her body faster and faster until Mickie screamed into his mouth. Randy quickly pulled out and shot all over her ass.

"That was incredible," Mickie rested against him.

"Yeah," Randy began to come down from his high, "you were alright." Mickie looked up at Randy and slapped him to his surprise. "What?" he defended. "I don't want you to get too comfortable now, James."

"Fuck you, Orton."

"Yeah, I love you, too."

The pair quickly dressed and hurried out of the steam room. Once they left, a door inside one of the hidden stalls opened up. "Oh, I don't believe this shit," Melina smiled, "Randy and Mickie?"


	32. Pricey Secrets

"So here's the deal, Orton," Mickie began, "no PDA. No hugs, kisses, winks, any of that frilly girly bullshit your other hoes are used to. In fact, you're standing too fucking close to me, go over there. When we go out, we will pay 50-50. Don't hold any fucking doors open for me or order my food. I can do that by my damn self. Oh, and one last thing, I'm not your girl, your boo, your honeydip, your sweetiepie, snuckums or any of that other nasty shit. Got it?"

Randy smiled. "You look so sexy when you're mad."

"Fuck you."

"I love you, too."

Mickie was still in shock over her newfound relationship. She hated Randy. No, she didn't hate him. She despised him. He was a misogynist. He was despicable. He was everything she _didn't_ want in a man. And yet, she couldn't bear not to be with him. Mickie believed in karmic retribution and she briefly wondered who in the hell did she piss off in her past for her fucked-up relationship to happen? But it didn't matter now. She was with Randy—barely. "Is there anything else you wanted to add?"

"Actually, yes, I do."

"What is it?"

"Can you please suck my dick so you can shut the fuck up?"

* * *

Rae was in denial. Full-fledged, no ha-ha-hee-hee denial.

Sure, she had been feeling sick for a while but that was normal. Of course, her clothes were feeling tighter than usual but it was due to her fast-food habits. And lastly, that little gut she was forming was due to her lack of exercising.

Everything was a coincidence, she thought. What she couldn't make as a coincidence was the fourth pregnancy test confirming her suspicions.

Not wanting to confirm the obvious, Rae made an appointment to see the WWE doctor as soon as possible. He would be more accurate, she reasoned. He would be more thorough than an over-the-counter pregnancy test, she thought.

He would tell her there was no way in blue hell she was pregnant despite her not having a period within the last two months.

* * *

_I wonder what kind of push I'll get if I blackmail someone with the news I know._

Melina had been dying to get a push for a while. She was one of the most talented Divas on the roster and needed to get more screen-time. More screen-time meant more money. More money meant she can afford her expensive handbag lifestyle she was used to. But no matter how diligent she worked, it seemed that she always just missed her chance.

Except for today.

She went to the gym for her daily workout. Afterwards, she headed to the steam room to relieve some stress and tension. She preferred the private stalls because she did not want to be paralyzed with the scene of some old woman's tits. In the private stalls, she could be at peace and think about the newest Chloe bag she saw at Neiman Marcus.

The all too-knowing sounds of sex disrupted her.

Melina rolled her eyes and waited until the couple was finished so she could back to daydreaming. But the voices sounded familiar. Way too familiar. It took Melina a nanosecond to realize who it was. She tried to lean closer to the stall door to get a better sound of the ongoings but everything was muffled. But she was satisfied with what she knew. There was no way in hell the two most obnoxious people were going to come out with their relationship in front of everyone. No way in hell.

Melina's dream of owning that Chloe bag became more of a reality.


	33. Who's Pregnant?

"So, is everything copasectic with ya'll?" John asked.

Randy grinned. He didn't want to show too much emotion because it would give away what he truly felt. He was in love with Mickie and as much as she tried to deny it, she definitely felt the same. They were a match made in wicked heaven. Instead, he played coy. "Yeah, we're straight."

"Good. Good to know," John grinned, "I hope it stays like that."

"You know she's a pain in the ass and sometimes I wish she would just shut it already, but you know what, man? I can't imagine not being with her crazy ass," Randy smiled.

"How sweet."

"So bro, you promise not a word about this to anyone, okay? I don't need a whole bunch of people in my business."

"Bro, I got you," John assured, "just one thing, though…"

"Yeah?"

"The Divas know."

* * *

_This can't be right. Nah, this test is defective. _

Rae squinted hard at the two extremely visible lines that were a clear indication she was pregnant. An hour and five tests later, Rae still couldn't believe it. Was she really? How was it possible? Well, she knew how it was possible but so soon?

Just when things were going so well between her and Dave. They moved in together and their bond became stronger. Dave occasionally mentioned he didn't want any more children and Rae was content to playing pseudo-stepmom to the girls.

Rae sighed. She needed to be one-hundred percent sure she was actually pregnant. A trip to the WWE doctor was the next step.

_There's no way I'm pregnant. Five tests can be wrong, you know? _

_

* * *

_

Christopher Amann had been the WWE's physician for several years. He had seen many wrestling-related injuries and knew how to treat them. He had also seem many stupid, non-wrestling related injuries and knew how to make them look like if the wrestlers did get injured in the ring. Like the time the Undertaker pulled a muscle during sex with a groupie. Or the time Edge broke his arm while playing Guitar Hero.

It was no surprise to anyone Christopher was nicknamed 'Genius' by the wrestlers.

He chuckled at the nicknamed and wondered if he should've been nicknamed 'Stupid' instead. He never questioned the wrestlers and what they were or were not doing. But if he acted along like nothing was amiss, everything was all good.

So it surprised him just a little to see Rae in his office. Her request wasn't unusual but her reaction was something different. She was definitely pregnant but she wasn't scared or freaked out. If anything, she was in a constant state of denial and wanted to stay there. He gave Rae a pregnancy test and had her wait in a private area away from the results. He knew it was going to come back positive just like the others. He was more curious about her reaction to the definitive answer.

"Rachel, you're pregnant," he finally told her.

Rae loudly sighed. She knew she was, there wasn't a doubt. She just didn't want to be pregnant. Not right now. Not when things were so good between her and Dave. They barely got back together and now she was pregnant. She couldn't even remember the last time she took the Pill.

Christopher seemingly read Rae's mind. "I can assist you with options if you need any?"

"No, no, no," Rae shook her head. She was so stunned by the news, Rae really didn't know what to think. Her mind was all over the place. "I just need some time to think."

"Well, don't take too long now," Christopher cautioned, "you only have a couple weeks until your second trimester."

"Okay, doc," Rae got up and put on her jacket, "hey, Doc, can you do me a favor?"

"Sure, anything."

"Can you keep this between us for the time being? I don't want too many people to know in case I don't go through with it."

"Doctor-patient confidentiality is a must for me. I won't tell a soul." Christopher assured.

"Thank you," Rae whispered and left the doctor's office.

* * *

"Amazing how a sports arena can have so few bathrooms!" Maria bristled as she finally found a free one. She went inside one of the stalls to change her tampon and was in for the shock of her life. On the back of the toilet seat, there were three pregnancy tests. _Pregnancy test? Geez, how many are in here? _She grabbed one and studied the results. _Well, whoever it is, congrats to them! _

Maria suddenly remembered Mickie's quiet mood during the morning and Trish's information to her. "That explains everything!" Maria exclaimed. "Mickie's having Randy's baby!"


	34. The Engagement?

Office gossip was known to ruin relationships, both business and personal. Friendships were strained and promotions were often delayed. Sometimes the gossip was beneficial and people planned accordingly.

However, in the WWE, there was no such thing as beneficial gossip. Either you were fucked or you were in the process of being fucked. There was no question what side Randy was on. "What do you mean the Divas know?"

John shrugged. If Trish knew, it was a guarantee the rest of the Divas knew almost instantly. Even though it was just him and his brothers growing up, John knew how women talked. He has yet to meet one who knew how to keep a secret. "They know."

"How do they know?" Randy was incredulous.

"They just know," John shrugged again.

"Who knows?"

"Trish knows."

Randy slumped down in his chair. "Fuck, they all know."

"Told you."

* * *

Mickie was feeling on top of the world. Her step had a bit more pep in it. There was an endless smile on her face, though she tried to hide it. It seemed like her world was beautiful.

All because of Randy.

As much as Mickie hated to admit it, she was madly in love with her nemesis. The one guy she couldn't stand was the one guy who made her complete. _God has a fucked-up sense of humor, _Mickie bristled. But as happy as she was, Mickie wanted to keep her happiness. Absolutely no one could know about her and Randy. No one. She had too much at stake. Like her reputation.

She re-entered the Divas' locker room and was surprised to see a flurry of bright smiles and hugs welcoming her. "Oh, Mickie!" Maria hugged her. "I'm so happy for you!"

Mickie looked around the locker room. It seemed every single Diva knew something. _Do they know? They can't know! _Mickie played it cool."Thank you."

"So when you were planning on telling us?" Candice Michelle asked.

_Fuck, they do know! _"Um, eventually…" Mickie began.

"I didn't know you were even dating!" Beth chimed in.

"Well, shit happens?" Mickie shrugged.

"You have to tell Vince and Steph!" Maria insisted. "They have to know right away!"

"Wh—wh—why would they need to know about this?" Mickie was particularly wary of upper management knowing about any personal relationships. She witnessed the devastating aftermath it had on Lita's career in regards to her affair with Edge. Mickie was not going to be a Lita. "I didn't think it was a big deal."

"Not a big deal? Not a big deal?" Victoria exclaimed. "It's not every day one of us is pregnant!"

"Pregnant? Who in the fuck is pregnant?" Mickie replied to a stunned group of Divas. "Not this bitch."

"Oh shit…" Maria glanced down on the floor.

Mickie saw Maria's face and glared at her. "Oh shit? What's 'Oh shit?', Kannelis?"

"Um…" Maria twisted her hair, "I kinda thought you were pregnant so I told a few people."

"A few people? A few people? Like who?"

"Like the girls here and…"

"And…and? I don't know an 'and', bitch. Who?"

"And… Lilian."

Mickie loudly sighed and folded her arms. Lilian was the primary source of gossip in the WWE. It didn't matter if it was true or not; she was bound to spread it. Mickie knew her safely guarded reputation was officially in the shitter. "If you were a man, I would knock you the fuck out."

* * *

"Hey man, congratulations," Carlito patted Randy on the back, "I wish you well."

"Um, thanks?" Randy wasn't sure how to react to another man congratulating him on his relationship.

"Man, it's gonna be tough, but it's worth it. Everything is worth it," Chris Jericho added.

"Okay, I guess," Randy shrugged.

Shelton Benjamin approached Randy. "Aren't you a little happy?"

"Well, I am. I just don't see what the big deal is," Randy thought he was in a strange world of Bizarro with all the fellas coming up to him, "I mean, Mickie's a great girl and all but I don't see the big deal about us being together."

"Ah, he hasn't let it hit him yet," Jericho chimed in.

"Hasn't let what hit me?" Randy was getting frustrated. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh shit, he probably doesn't know, guys!" Carlito pointed out.

"I probably don't know what?" Randy's head was becoming dizzy.

"Oh, we'll let the wifey tell you," Rey Mysterio chuckled.

"Dude, what the hell is going on here? What?" Randy looked around and saw the gossiping men chuckle like little girls. "Can someone at least give me a clue?"

"You're gonna miss sleep," Jericho knew from experience, "that's all I'm sayin'."

Randy shook his head in frustration. "Ya'll are a bunch of weirdos."

* * *

Mickie headed straight to the men's locker room. She was determined to dispel any pregnancy rumors and put an end to the whole thing. She was not going to stand for her good reputation to be ruined by a bunch of snarky and gossiping bitches if she could help it. She'll ruin her reputation on her own and without any help.

She approached the men's locker room and was getting ready to knock on it when she overheard the men talking to Randy. She pressed her ear against the door and listened in. "Dude, I'm just saying be ready for a lifetime commitment, that's all," Kane advised, "and I can't add no more to that."

"A lifetime?" Randy repeated. He always thought Kane was one of the most intelligent wrestlers he's ever met but right about now, he thought the Big Red Machine was pretty stupid for not telling him what everyone seemingly knew.

"A lifetime, bro," Jericho nodded, "a whole freakin' lifetime."

Mickie pulled away from the door. "A lifetime? Commitment?" She put two and two together. "Randy's going to propose?"


	35. The Announcement?

"Dude, I have no idea what the hell you fools are talking about. You act like Mickie and I are getting married and we're just dating." Randy still couldn't believe the words coming out of his mouth. He just admitted Mickie was his girlfriend without actually saying it. It still took some getting used to. "I don't know what the big deal is."

"Just wait and see," Chris Jericho added, "just wait."

"Well, as I'm just 'waiting', I'm going to go somewhere else because ya'll…" Randy shook his head and began to leave. "…ya'll are trippin'." He opened the door and saw Mickie stand before him. "Hey."

"Hell no!" She blurted.

* * *

"You know out of all of the places you can stuff an engagement ring," Paul began as he stared at Dave's trunks, "I don't think that would be the place."

Dave was so paranoid about Rae's engagement ring being stolen, he tried to find an inconspicuous place no one would guess. His junk was the only thing that came to mind. "You don't think it'll fall out during the match, do you?"

Paul tried his best to contain his laughter but he just couldn't hold it in any longer. Dave looked like he took a little too much Viagra and the 4-hour erection side effect was in full swing. "Fool, take that shit out, please?"

* * *

"So…" Trish began as she sat down next to a saddened Rae. Rae still didn't know what she was going to do about her pregnancy and was equally unsure if Dave wanted more children in addition to his three. "Have you thought about what you're going to do?"

Rae was numb. She had no idea what she was going to do and according to the doctor, she had very little time to decide. She wasn't even sure if Dave should know. She didn't want children and was pretty positive Dave was fine with his three daughters. "I don't know. I just don't know."

"Well, make a decision that's best for Rae and not for anyone else," Trish advised, "because at the end of the day, it really is your decision and yours only."

"That's the problem," Rae added, "it's my decision but it's going to affect everyone else around me." She took in a deep breath. "This blows."

* * *

Randy was confused. What in the hell was Mickie saying 'hell no' to? "Um, James? What?"

"Hell no, I don't want to marry you! I'm still getting used to the fact you're the only dick I have right now."

"Yeah, I love you, too, bitch."

The other men from the locker room surrounded Randy outside. "Hey Mickie, congrats!" Carlito smiled.

"On what? Being with him?" Mickie sneered.

"You're pregnant, aren't you?" Rey Mysterio asked.

"Fuck no! And that's why I came here to talk to Randy about!" Mickie turned to him. "I'm not fucking pregnant."

"You fucking better not be," Randy sniggered, "because if you were, me and Trojan have a day in court."

Soon, Mickie and Randy were joined by the Divas. "Wait a minute," Jillian began, "if you're not pregnant and you're not getting married, then who is?"

A light went off in Maria's head. It was the only plausible explanation. _Could it be? Dave and Rae?_

* * *

After her talk with Trish, Rae walked back into the locker room area and found all of the wrestlers in the hallways. _I wonder what happened here?_ She stood behind some of the wrestlers but faintly heard whispers. "Hey, Mark," she asked the Undertaker, "what's going on?"

"Someone's pregnant and someone's getting married," he shrugged. Mark didn't really care for gossip but silently admitted it was fascinating him. "No one knows who is doing what so it's a guessing game."

_They know? How do they know?_ Rae wrapped her arms around her waist to cover any possible bump. "Oh, do they have an idea who might be pregnant?"

"Definitely not Mickie," Shelton Benjamin commented, "definitely not those two."

"Oh," Rae tried to act unassuming, "I guess we'll find out at some point."

"Oh, we are," Carlito said, "because Vince is coming right now and he's demanding to know."

Rae swallowed what seemed like the biggest lump in her throat. She was going have to announce her pregnancy in front of everyone.


End file.
